A No-Improvement Project

Not all home improvement projects go as planned. Honestly, all of the time we're just winging it when we build something or install something else. Sure, I look around, see what I like, pin 102 ideas on Pinterest, but when it comes down to it... we're not really into following directions unless they come in the box.

My favorite projects around the house are quick, cheap changes that make an impact. I like being able to use what we have before buying something new if possible. Why replace a perfectly functional vanity if it's still in good shape? All bets are off though if there's a pedestal sink though, because those things are just pointless! I digress.

I seriously hate replacing light fixtures. Unless we're talking a chandelier, which will seriously change the look of the room, or an outside light, because light fixtures just aren't really something I LOOK at. So, I try to leave them alone, as long as they are working. Well, I have a plan for the kids' upstairs bathroom, and found these beauties at Lowe's. New light pendants! This is such an easy way to update a light fixture without replacing it and getting your husband electrocuted! (I've replaced them in the kitchen of each house.)

So, I picked up the new pendant covers for about $9.00 each. I knew that I needed 3 of them, not because I counted, but because I looked up our listing photos on Zillow while standing in front of the fixtures in Lowe's.

They have a huge selection, but I thought these would be a fun change from glass. I'm planning a black and white theme in the kids' bathroom, and already have black hooks for towels and a large sign I bought from a local store. ANYWAY! I was really excited to swap these out for an instant change!
Side note: If you don't have a 3 step step-stool, you need one. So much easier than moving a ladder around and great for a plethora of projects!

Well... to my surprise... our bathroom fixtures - yes, ALL of them - are different than ones that I've previously encountered. The pendant actually has to fit inside of it and then screws hold it on; unlike most pendants where the pendant has a "screw" in the middle that holds it around the lightbulb socket.

They don't fit!! Urgh. Then, we discovered Menard's and I found some cute glass covers that were a great alternative!! And - OMG - they had the little glass lip around them that the fixture's screws go into!! AND - they were only $3.00?!

I snagged 3 and booked it home to win the battle with the light fixture!! But, I lost. The rim on these are too wide to fit inside. So, as much as I don't like replacing light fixtures... we're going to get really good at it.

Not everything goes as planned for every home improvement project. Luckily we just discovered Menard's and they have an amazing lighting section! Sorry Justin.

Our Library

I don't know about you... but Belle was one of my favorite princesses, because she loved to read. (Second only to Ariel, because she's obviously the best princess.) And I totally squealed for Belle when the Beast gave her his library!! So amazing!

One of our hopes for our Ohio house was to have a library space in our house! I'm not talking grand staircases, or thousands of books, but somewhere we could display our books and have a comfy, quiet place to read. Well, we got one and it is finished! (For now.)

The bookshelves are full, so that's a good sign, but a bad thing for future book purchases! So, I have to decide how to fit anther bookshelf in this room. I would like to put them in the cut-out on this wall.

Obviously it's not ideal to have the dog kennels in the library, but you know... real life. We don't have anywhere else on the first floor - or even the 2nd - to put the kennels. The garage is problematic, because of the seasonal high and low temps in Ohio. We are in the process of building a large, indoor kennel in the basement for both dogs to have more room, but it's not done yet. (Or started.) So, hopefully another bookshelf will live here in the future, and maybe a cozy chair or a desk for the kids.

Our sitting area kind of fell together without much planning, but it works. The love seat... oh, the love seat. This was NOT what I was planning on in here. Maybe a Papasan chair, or a chair and a half to cuddle up in... alas, the love seat won. Basically, I ordered this love seat for our living room when we bought furniture. However, it was way too small for the room and we ended up getting a 2nd full sized couch for the space. (I'll show you later.) So, I had a love seat that I couldn't return and a room that needed seating.

I bought this lamp for 75% off - $20 pre-tax - at Meijer before we even bought the house. (Washington peeps, this store is like Fred Meyer without furniture.) I've always loved hanging lamps, and I think having the lighting above the reading material is good placement. We don't have overhead lighting in the library, but we have a ghost switch that I was able to plug the lamp into, so the wall switch turns it on. Plus, I'm a huge fan of adding different textures into a room, so this fit nicely.

I also ordered the hammered brass side table before we bought the house, because I just loved it.

The Harry Potter pillow was just the perfect final touch; thank you Pottery Barn Kids sale!

The desk area really stumped me. I knew how I needed it to function, however I didn't know to translate that into actual function. The desk and chair are from Ikea; we brought the chair on the move. I wanted the biggest desk possible, and I think we accomplished that for the space.

I settled on open shelving for the wall, because it was the easiest solution, with the most versatility and storage. I decided to move the printer up there from the desktop, to open up more space. I may pop the cords in the wall, but they don't bother me much, yet. The shelf brackets were purchased on Etsy from Modern Urban Metals and are secured into studs for maximum security! I also added a couple of puck-lights to the underside of the bottom shelf for additional lighting at night, since the hanging light is behind me when I'm at the desk.

I bought the gold envelope for the command center wall originally, but I grossly underestimated the size of the wall, so that area changed A LOT as we started assembling it. I was going to return the envelope, but I decided to use it for little greeting cards to send out. (I love picking these up in Bullseye's area at Target!)

I needed a GREAT spot in my house for this famed picture. My amazing family gifted this to us before we moved. I wanted it somewhere I could see it, and not just in passing. I kept the placement of this in mind when we hung the shelves, and I'm loving the result.

Aside from furniture (not including the desk chair) and the set of animal pictures, we didn't purchase anything for this room. I have never been able to put a room together using what I already have, so I was pretty pleased by that!

Jordan and I both worked and reworked this area together until we loved it!
I bought the watercolor lion picture years ago in honor of my fierce Leo girl that passed away.

These were originally purchased for the playroom, but I thought they worked better in here.

Justin's Army retirement certificate!
And we updated the thermostat to tie in to our home security system.

Justin brought this giraffe home from South Africa!
She's tucked away in this little spot for safe keeping!

Justin saw something similar to this at the Red Plantation in Pouslbo, but decided to think about it. When he figured out he wanted it, someone else had already snagged it! So, I found this look-a-like at Hobby Lobby and got it 1/2 off. Get it here!

I wasn't sure where our wall ruler would work in this house... I made it - two houses ago - and didn't really want to let it go. I've never actually put lines on it, but we've measured many children, many times up against it. I'm so happy it found a place in our new home! 

Doorway goes into the playroom, which also leads into the kitchen, which gives our first floor a nice design flow!

Overall, this room feels the most "lived in" out of the entire house. I love that the walls are crowded and not everything matches, because this room is filled with so many of our favorite things! Touches of South Africa can be spotted, favorite pieces from previous homes, family, friends, Funko... saltwater. It's perfectly us. My library dreams have been realized!