b&a: guest bedroom dresser

This post is LONG overdue, but... I bought this ugly thing off Craigslist about a year ago. BW reluctantly accompanied me to a very sketchy storage unit where we met a one armed man (seriously) who was thrilled for us to take it off his hands...er, hand? Either way. I had no place to put it, but at $40 it was such a bargain I couldn't pass it up. It sat in my sunroom untouched until, ironically, it found it's way into another storage unit.  Several months and a new city later, it finally has a home. We needed a dresser for our guest bedroom and this puppy fit the bill. But before it could make it's way in to Kendall... it needed some help.

SIDE NOTE: How cool is that fan in the background? It was in the attic when we moved in and I made BW lug it down stairs. It weights close to 30 lbs. and it must be at least 50 years old. And it still works!

1. It was covered in the most disgusting red candle wax. No clue how/why that happened, but with little bit of elbow grease I was able to scrape it all away.



2. The back of the dresser (basically a sheet of pressboard) was practically falling off. I didn't get a picture, but it didn't take long for BW to tackle that one. With some new screws we were back in business.

{ I put BW to work while I was busy snapping pictures }

3. These awful (almost as awful as my manicure - or lack thereof - in this picture), dirty plastic pulls. Which I quickly swapped out for some pretty ones purchased for 50% off at Hobby Lobby.



4. It needed paint. Bad.

I was very eager to use my Annie Sloan chalk paint, which I actually ordered back when I bought the dresser. It too has been sitting in the storage unit. So much for completely projects in a timely manor. The beauty of chalk paint is that it doesn't require priming or sanding, which is an idea I can get behind because it means quick and easy. After filling in the extra holes left from the old drawer pulls with a little wood putty and sanding to make sure everything was nice and smooth, the whole dresser got one coat of paint. It wasn't quite the coverage I was hoping for, so I opted for a second coat.*

I sanded it at the corners and edges to give it a distressed look. I decided not the paint the top of the dresser. I just liked the look of the natural wood against the blueish green color. We popped on the new knobs and voila!







*The first coat went on nice and smooth, however the second coat seemed to go on a little thick. After some sanding it turned out just fine. I was planning on using chalk paint to paint our kitchen cabinets (another project for another day), but after using it on the dresser I definitely think I will take the 'ole paint and prime route. I am just looking for a cleaner, smoother, as little brush strokes as possible finish on the cabinets.

Oh and also, just about everything I've read about chalk paint says that you need to finish it off with wax. I have yet to do that. I was too eager to get it back inside. But when if I get around to it, I will be sure to give you an update.

biggest fan

Our new house is 1,808 square feet. In that 1,808 square feet I bet you cannot guess how many ceiling fans there are...but go ahead, give it a shot.

Absolutely not. Three is not even close.

Nope. Not four. Try again.

No. Not even six.

EIGHT!

There are eight ceiling fans. That equals one in every room (including three in the dining room/living room/kitchen) plus one outside. I told BW that if we turned them all on full blast our little house just might fly away like UP! (side note: sweetest little movie of all time. It comes highly recommended from the W household. Literally...stop reading this and go watch it.)

Since I think we can easily survive with about, oh let's see, half of these ceiling fans, I've been researching light fixtures to replace them. I know I want something different for the dining room, the kitchen, my office and possibly the bedroom. But don't tell BW. He would probably be happy to live with all eight. His body temperature runs about 4 degrees warmer than the average person. (He's prob a werewolf - and of course when I say "werewolf"what I really mean is "shape shifter/wolf". I realize these types of silly thoughts are probably a result of working at a teen magazine the last four years. Or at the very least, because of watching shows like True Blood and Vampire Diaries.) I digress. The point is, I'm on the market for some new lighting fixtures. Here are a few that may soon be making an appearance in Kendall.

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to have a lantern over the island in our kitchen. Where, shockingly, there is now a ceiling fan. Remember when I blogged about Sarah Richardson? Well this ah-mazing shot comes from the home of her assistant Tommy (which if you've never seen the show is so super cute). I love this lantern. Oh yeah, and the floors, and the cabinets, and the french doors, and everything.

{ another shot of Tommy's cutie kitchen }

The kitchen below is probably my fave. I'm loving the contrast between the white cabinets and the butcher block. BW and I are dying to put butcher block in our kitchen. We were originally just thinking about the island, but now I think we're both considering replacing all the countertops with butcher block. In fact, on a recent road trip to Savannah, we made a special trip to the Atlanta IKEA to check out their butcher block. BW was definitely disappointed we didn't leave with new countertops that day. Check out how seamlessly the lantern fits in with the countertops, the open shelving, and the amazing apron front sink. I die.

I wish we had the space to accommodate two. I love these shots below with the pairs of lanterns.

I think this one from overstock.com is prettyyy darn close to a few of the ones above. The great part is that it's less than $150. The not so great part is that it was only $103 when I pinned it a few weeks ago. What gives Overstock?



I think one of these chandeliers - both of these lovelies are also from Overstock - would look beautiful over the dining room table. Although, a chandelier may be a little too feminine for BW tastes. If I can't convince him, a smaller scale version of one of these will definitely be going in my office. Stay tuned because I have big plans for that room!

{ here }

{ is it just me or does this look awfully close to this beauty? just sayin. }

I have a feeling these two drum shades may be a little more up BW's alley. I can't complain because I love them both.

{ here }

{ from here, the dark iron bands make it feel much more rustic }

What do you think? Any favorites? On another note, if you're in the market for a ceiling fan give us a call! I know where you can find one (or eight) on the cheap.

meet kendall

So folks, here she is! Meet Kendall. Our very first home. It's been three weeks and we already have more projects started than we can count. Once things are a little less chaotic, I'll share some pictures of the inside. Isn't she adorable?

{ wedding gift from collsy, makes our porch super inviting! }

{ BW popping a bottle of champagne on closing day. note the fancy champagne flutes }

In other news... today is our one month anniversary! I cannot believe it's already been one month. Time has absolutely flown by, but at the same time if feels like it's been forever. Just so you can share in our excitement, I am posting one of my very favorite pictures from our wedding. Shot by our amazing photographer, Brittney (she also shot our engagement pictures). I will be sure to share more pictures soon.

home sweet home, at last

Remember the mold house? Of course you do...

When we didn't get our "dream house" BW and I were devastated. So thanks to all of you who offered to "light the yard on fire", "fill the lawn with old toilets", and of course "release a rabid raccoon into the crawl space." Your outpouring of vandalism love made us realize how wonderful our friends are (as if we didn't already know.) The good news is, you can put away the lighter fluid, ditch the toilets and call animal control, your "help" won't be necessary. Because.....

WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!

That's right. The initial offer fell through. We placed an offer. Which turned in to multiple offers, a.k.a. a bidding war. Which as far as I'm convinced is one of the most terrifying/stressful things that exists in this world. I mean come on, bidding war. Is it really necessary to call it that? The stress led me to start pulling out chunks of hair creating a small bald spot on the left side of my head (I'm only sort-of kidding.) The worst part is, I was LESS stressed than BW. He was a wreck. We submitted an offer and waited. And waited. And waited. Then we got the call.. it's ours! The best wedding gift we could have received. We close next month, post-honeymoon. I cannot wait to share pictures!

Disclaimer: no landscape, toilets or raccoons were harmed as a result of this post.