Bedroom Makeover Update

March 22, 2013

Well, I’ve been working away on our bedroom makeover (introduced here), until progress suddenly ground to a halt. A lot of the parts and pieces are collected, and some DIYing is underway, however this week I was bitten by a nasty cold… All.Week.Long. :-| So frustrating.

Here’s a little peek anyway.

This is part of the palette that was already in place, and won’t be changing (read more here, here, and here), so it became the jump-off.

Duvet, Drapes, Quilt Rack

You might remember an area rug was part of the new plan. These are the options within the rug budget that made the shortlist, and I’ve since chosen one.

Rug Potentials

Which one do you think I chose? I know, two very different textures, two very different looks!

And you might remember, I showed a long, low MCM dresser factored into the plan. Well, I kind of became a ‘Used Finds’ junkie, scouring the ads like a daily habit, week after week with little to no luck. And then finally one day, there it was!

Used Victoria - MCM Dresser, Mirror & Highboy

{Used Victoria}

A DIY option (at least for me), but definitely along the lines of what I had in mind. This came as a package deal with a mirror and a highboy, because the seller wouldn’t split the set apart. But for the price, it’s a deal that’s hard to beat since they are Honderich pieces c. 1960s, and nice thick walnut veneer.

TIP:

Did you know the veneer in older pieces is much thicker than now-a-days, therefore a better option to sand? And the base wood tends to be of a higher quality than what you get now. Something to keep in mind if you’re looking for a used find. I say, the older, the better!

Here’s a look at my workshop right now. Notice my other Used Find in the background? Hint: the doors are removed.

MCM Dressers & Cabinet Makeovers 033

Since so much of the space depends on the MCM dresser, I’ve been working on it first, even though I had the glass door cabinet before it.

The top is fully sanded and complete, and this is where I left off when the retched bug decided to take over. GRRRR. So frustrating. Oh, did I already say that?

MCM Dressers & Cabinet Makeovers 047

It feels like the cold is starting to break, so I’m hoping to get the sanding finished up this weekend. You can see I have the the finicky areas left, and I still have the drawer fronts to do. And I’m dying to get my hands on the other Used Finds cabinet, too! These pieces will have completely different finishes, and I can’t wait to get the pretty party started!

Are you working on any projects right now? Any makeovers to do?

Thanks for stopping by!

Signature 100x47 b&w

Photographs by Sheila Zeller unless otherwise stated.

 

 

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Tired of Ho-Humming Along!

March 8, 2013

Well, it’s been a pretty busy last few weeks over here at sZinteriors. For quite a while now I’ve been scouring the USED ads, thrifting my little heart out and just plain visioning in search of makeover pieces for my project ‘to do’!

Here’s a little heads up on what’s got my attention:

Floor Plan - Labelled Layout

Yah, I’ve had enough ho-humming along. Time to move out the pieces that aren’t working, and move in ones that will. This layout is what I have in mind. You can see from the floor plan, we don’t have a lot of options for furniture placement, but that’s okay. We don’t own this home, so will do with this space what we can do!

Here’s one piece that’s just come along…

Glass Door Cabinet - Used VictoriaAnd a look at it right-side up!

Solid Oak Glass Door Cabinet

It’s solid oak with old brass hardware. You can’t really see in this photo, but the bottom of the legs are wrapped in brass – dipping with the real thing!

I have plans for this piece. Oh yes I do! So today I swapped my vehicle to the good outdoors, and set up my workshop in its place to get started.

There will definitely be more to come, but I have to get on with the grunt work first. That would be sanding. I so don’t enjoy the sanding part!

What are your plans for the weekend? Doing anything fun?

Thanks for stopping by!

Signature 100x47 b&w

Photos courtesy of Used Victoria ad

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Artist Easel to TV Stand ‘Before & After’

September 4, 2012

Featured by…

TV Cabinet Solutions

 Thank you so much!

You might remember waaaaay back about this time last year I posted in excitement about wanting to turn an artist easel into a TV stand. This was inspired by Vicente Wolf’s very creative idea, and if you missed my post you can catch up on it here. And then in House & Home’s June issue this year, an art easel turned TV stand was a featured DIY project!

This was exactly the push I needed to get back on track and tackle my year-in-waiting project!

Here’s what the easel looked like in its ‘before’ state.

Art Easel

Notice there is just one shelf.

There was a concern that the TV would be too top-heavy for the stand once it was mounted, making it tip forward. A test-run proved this stand to be a lot sturdier than you would think, and with the added weight of the audio equipment on the bottom, it wasn’t going anywhere.

Here’s the TV console we were replacing along with all the audio equipment that would have to make the move. I forgot to take a true ‘before’ of it, so you’ll notice the TV is missing!

Without getting too lost in the details of this project, one of the things we did was add two more shelves to accommodate our equipment.

I had my heart set on painting the stand black, because I wanted the equipment to blend in. I opted to brush rather than spray the stand, and oh boy, what a chore that was! Just the sanding and taping was more than I bargained for! You see, I had to sand off a clear coat finish, and then tape all the knobs and exposed hardware. And this stand has a lot of grooves, not to mention a bunch of knobs, back and front, as well as ample hardware!

I used CIL’s low VOC, low odour DUO paint (Dark Secret, DL51 in semi-gloss), so was spared the priming. I haven’t used CIL’s 2-in-1 paint before, and was curious about its coverage. In the end the stand got two coats, and needed some touch-ups just where the frame was adjusted once the TV was mounted. The frame was tedious to adjust, which is why I didn’t mess with it when I was painting.

Next hubs drilled the frame so he could mount our center speaker for the surround sound right in the center of the stand. Makes sense, right?

The TV, by the way, was mounted with steel strapping.

We used the TV’s pre-existing screw holes meant for a wall-mount bracket to attach the strapping, and wrapped it snugly over the back rest of the easel.

At first, I wasn’t too sure if I liked the outcome.

But then when I went back to the living room ‘before’ photo with the TV console…

And looked around the room with the new TV easel finished and in place…

Well, I decided there was no comparison. I love the sculptural feel and uniqueness of the stand, and how compact the equipment is sitting on the stand. I like how the stand works with the clock, and the decor. But most of all, I like that the stand tucked perfectly into the corner… it’s such an awkward corner. Did you notice that?

This was a case of, if you can’t disguise the TV, then go all out with it instead!

I’m curious to hear what you think! And, I’d love your thoughts on the wall behind the TV, too. Would you put anything there, or leave that spot empty as is?

Today I’m linking up over at Primitive & Proper…

You might want to pop by to check out the other projects. Thanks for hosting, Cassie!

And thank you, my friends, for stopping by today :-)

PS – don’t forget to enter our special GIVEAWAY here… Giveaway ends Friday, September 7, 2012 midnight PST!

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Guest Posting Over At Home Bunch

August 31, 2012

Wow, can you believe it’s Friday… and August 31st, too? Where did the summer go? I don’t know about you, but I’m not quite ready for our summer to end. My sunflowers just started to bloom!

Although, I have to admit, it is nice to get back into the swing of a regular routine with the beginning of school closing in.

And what better way to end off the summer, and start into the fall than to be guest posting over at Home Bunch? Today you’ll find me stepping in for Luciane with a little Cool or Fool Friday fun…

Luciane is one of my very dear blogging friends who has been with me since the beginning. And right now she’s knee-deep in a big design project, along with being incredibly busy raising her family, blogging five days a week, and just being the amazing woman that she is.

I hope you’ll pop over for a visit, and weigh in with your thoughts… is it cool or fool?

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Bistro Chairs Beachside!

June 6, 2012

The sun is shining today, so a postponed appointment from Monday has been re-scheduled for this afternoon. It’ll all make sense soon, but for now I’m just so happy to see the sunshine :-)

So with high hopes and longing for more of that bright yellow stuff, I’ll leave you with these Andros bistro chairs from Pottery Barn…

I just love them in this setting.

Fun, right?

Colourful Metal Bistro Chairs

 

Pottery Barn via This Next

Are you ready for a little al fresco at the beach?

I know I sure am!

I hope your day is going well :-) As long as the sun keeps shining, mine is full of smiles… and soon you’ll know what today’s appointment was all about!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

xo

It’s about coming home… a special place that tells your story! 

If you would like a little help with your space contact me here.

Looking for a colour consultation click here.

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Hey, Guess What? Mystery Solved!

May 7, 2012

Do you remember the credenza mystery I wrote about here? You know, the one in Don Draper’s office, Season 4 of Mad Men?

If you’re just catching up, here’s another look at this mystery piece.

Source: Modernica Blog

As you know, I tried to find out more information on this interesting piece, but in spite of my searching wasn’t able to find out much on its designer influence. I speculated that the design was Powell & Evans inspired, but asked for feedback if any of you, my awesome readers, knew otherwise.

And because a very thoughtful reader responded, the mystery has been solved. And for that, thank you so much!

This credenza is in fact a rare 1960s Witco Oceanic Tiki piece. Here’s a much better look at it… take a very close look!

Source: Vintage and Modern

Do you notice anything slightly out of whack?

Here’s another photo for you to compare. Pay attention to the drawers on either side of the middle section…

Source: Modernica Props

In the first photo the sets of drawers are actually placed each on the wrong end of the credenza, skewing the carved design. If you look at the photo above you’ll see how the carved pieces fit together, and should actually look.

Thank you to Senor Amor for pointing this out in his comment here! What a keen eye Senor has both for detail, and for great pieces :-)

Here is a close-up of the middle section.

Source: Vintage and Modern

Want to know what else I discovered?

I learned that this credenza is actually a 9-drawer dresser, and that it’s part of a whole bedroom suite. Here’s a look at a few of the matching pieces I was able to find.

Mens Chest Dresser.

Source: KRRB

Highboy Dresser.

Source: Oodle

Large Mirror (that attaches to the 9-drawer dresser).

Source: Oodle

Headboard.

Source: Oodle

I searched for bedside tables as well, but nothing came up…

Until Senor Amor’s comment. As luck would have it, Senor just happens to be selling some of the pieces to the suite, and a set of bedside tables was in the mix.

Here’s a look at the side tables!

Source: Los Angeles Craigslist

If you’re at all interested in the items Senor is selling, remember, these are rare vintage pieces that are tough to find. Here’s the link for more information:

Witco Oceanic Tiki Pieces – Los Angeles Craigslist

So there you have it! The Mad Men credenza mystery is solved. It’s from Witco and is part of the Oceanic Tiki series.

And I found this little piece of information on Witco from Retro Renovation blog:

Hi,

My name is Burke Hovde (aka…The Witco Kid on www.tikicentral.com). I’m the son of Ron Hovde, one of the Witco Co-Founders and Artists with Bill Westenhaver. I grew up with Witco everywhere. Witco wallhangings and furniture are all over my parents house and our family’s cabin. Witco started out as Western International Trading Company and imported South Pacific home furnishing items like Capishell Lamps. They also were into carvings that eventually evolved into the rough cedar chain saw carved furniture and Tikis that most people know Witco for. The artwork and production plant was in Mt. Vernon, Washington and they eventually sold $15 million worth of Witco products throughout the world over a 10 year run in the 1970′s. Through my Ebay Storefront at “intertrader2005″ you can purchase a book on “Fun and Profitable Chainsaw Carving” that Ron Hovde and Bill Westenhaver published under their company Westho (i.e. Westenhaver/Hovde) after Witco shut down. If I can answer any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at hovdeinternational@hotmail.com

Cheers!
Burke Hovde
Hovde International

As you can see from my blog article today, if it wasn’t for thoughtful readers sharing their knowledge by leaving a comment, I wouldn’t be any the wiser. And as you can see by the comment left on Retro Renovation blog, some of Witco’s history has also been shared.

And this is the power of leaving a comment! I am always grateful to hear from you, to learn more by what you have to say, and from the knowledge you have to share…

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY!

xo

It’s about coming home… and home is a special place that tells your story! 

If you would like a little help with your space contact me here.

Looking for a colour consultation click here.

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Organizing: Planning A Gift Prep Station

May 4, 2012

I was working yesterday on an organizing overhaul with owners in their commercial space, and one of the things I was able to see right away was the need to establish a gift prep station. This company offers gift bags and baskets filled with their product, along with nicely presented gift certificates.

The problem: prep was taking place in the staff room, in the back storage area, at the front counter, and even on the fly in the boss’ office. Madness, right?

In the open storage area there is an old metal office desk being used for a work surface. All the drawers have been removed, so the desk surface is really its only function. This storage area also has lots of unused vertical space.

I don’t have any photos to share right now, but here’s a mock-up of what we plan to do.

  1. Add open shelving above the desk for supplies
  2. Install a removable rod under the bottom shelf for rolls of ribbon
  3. Mount containers to the wall for scissors, pens, and all those miscellaneous tools that need to be handy
  4. Install a bulletin board to help keep track of things
  5. Install open shelving in the desk
    • the 2 wide shelves will hold flat sheets of tissue (they usually work with just 2 colours)
    • the 3 smaller shelves will hold their stock of gift bags and gift certificates
  6. The opening under the desk is left free for the completed gift bags.

The owner was thrilled with this plan, and by the time I left yesterday I had moved everything related to the gift prep into this area.

If all goes well the shelving should be installed next week… just in time for the Mother’s Day rush!

Do you look at your space in terms of zones or stations?

I really believe thinking of your space chunked into zones or stations, makes it easier to stay organized. Not only does this establish the function of the area, but it narrows down your options for where things belong. And this makes it easier to keep things in their place, and maximize the function of your total space.

THANKS FOR READING; I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

xo

It’s about coming home… and home is a special place that tells your story! 

If you would like a little help with your space contact me here.

Looking for a colour consultation click here.

Subscribe to SZInteriors by email or RSS feed

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Photo Diagram: Sheila Zeller

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John Thomas Moore: Adjustable Folding Deck Chair

April 13, 2012

We’re finally rounding the corner on our weather… aren’t we? Soon we’ll be thinking BBQs and the beach.

And with that comes portable chairs like the deck chair.

Adjustable Folding Chair Design by John Thomas Moore

Source: Design Boom

That’s right. The John Thomas Moore adjustable folding chair.

British businessman, John Thomas Moore (1864-1929), took out a patent for adjustable folding chairs in 1886, though deck chairs can be traced as far back as the ancient Egyptians.

As you can see in the illustration above, the early version of the chairs were made of three wooden rectangles hinged together to form the folding frame. A rectangular piece of canvas in olive green was attached to the frame to form the seat and back support thus becoming the infamous deck chair.

You’ll often hear these iconic deck chairs referred to as the Brighton Beach Chair.

John Moore Deck Chairs on Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach, 1948

And that’s because as you see here, the chairs grew in popularity and became part of the tapestry of Britain’s Brighton Beach.

And as iconic as the chair itself, is the blue and white striped fabric that replaced the original mottled olive canvas.

Vintage Striped John Moore Deck Chairs

Source: Etsy – The Postcard Shop

Moore manufactured the deck chair in Macclesfield from 1887 onward, and by then they had become common place on transatlantic steamers. In fact, Moore supplied the Titanic with 600 deck chairs, of which only six survived the tragic sinking. Apparently, one of these was sold at auction in 2001 for £35,000, and it is believed this chair had been used as a makeshift life raft!

Here you see the deck chairs on the Titanic.

John Moore Deck Chairs on Titanic

Source: Kottke (Francis Browne Photo)

Notice how their design is different from the original design, and includes a footrest?

And here you see a cane back variation of the original design, but with arms incorporated.

John Moore Deck Chair - Titanic Exhibit

Source: Trip Advisor

Since the 1940s the adjustable folding chair has made its way onto lawns, cricket pitches, tennis courts, patios and anywhere a portable comfy seat was needed, as you see in this photo.

John Moore Deck Chairs & The Beatles

Source: Meet the Beatles for Real Blog

Any idea who the gentlemen are in the background? ;-)

Today you’ll find the iconic British deck chair still scatters the shores of Brighton Beach and beyond.

Deck Chairs on Brighton Beach

Source: Telegraph

And we are fortunate in the last few years to have a version of the British deck chair brought to our very own shores by Vancouver’s Gallant & Jones.

Blue & White Striped Deck Chair

Source: Gallant & Jones – Venice Beach Deck Chair

If you haven’t heard of this dynamic duo, you might want to read about them here.

The Gallant & Jones deck chair is handmade of North American White Oak or Black Walnut, and is available in a number of bright and bold weather resistant fabrics.

Here are a few examples…

Peach Patterned Deck Chair

Source: Gallant & Jones (Janis Nicolay Photo)

Do you recognize this Vancouver beach?

Don’t the chairs look pretty sitting here?

Multi-coloured Striped Deck Chairs

Source: Gallant & Jones (Janis Nicolay Photo)

They’re named from beaches and lakes throughout British Columbia and in Great Britain, and just to show you local examples of that…

Here you see the Kitsilano and Jericho deck chairs.

Gallant & Jones Striped Deck Chairs

Source: Gallant & Jones

I think these would be perfect around our new and improved BBQ area, don’t you? Especially once the plants are all potted up and in bloom.

From John Thomas Moore to Gallant & Jones… these deck chairs have come a long way, yet only gotten better with age!

How about you? Would you like a set of these chairs, too?

I really like the simple construction and lines of these deck chairs, and what I love about Gallant & Jones carrying on the legacy of John Moore’s design are the vibrant fabrics they use. But what I really appreciate is their environmentally conscious integrity around the construction of their deck chairs, and this: with every deck chair purchased a tree is donated and planted through the LOVE TREES PROGRAM. Gallant & Jones – environmentally responsible AND design savvy!

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO STOP BY!

 xo

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story! 

If you would like some help with your space contact me here.

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What do Sitting and Smoking Have in Common?

March 5, 2012

As a blogger…

I am sitting and working for long periods of time. Too long, in fact. I try to get up and make sure I move around, find reasons to go up and down the stairs throughout the day, pay attention to my posture, but in the end I’m still sitting for WAY.TOO.LONG. And yes, periodically go through bouts of lower back pain.

Sound familiar?

This image, shared on my friend Sarah Loewen’s facebook page, was my wake-up call.

Source: Sanders Says Blog

But it’s the caption that went with it that really snapped me to attention:

SITTING IS THE NEW SMOKING

Seriously. Have you ever watched Mad Men? How can sitting be the new smoking? How does it even compare? I urge you to read the full article from My One Resolution Blog, or at least the quick recap by Sanders Says Blog. Short, but the message… not so sweet.

Blogging and Physical Fitness

It was in this moment that I stopped trying to figure the blogging and sitting vs. physical fitness, health and well-being ratio out on my own. I contacted Sarah without wasting another minute, and set up one-on-one sessions to build a fitness plan just for me. You see, Sarah is the owner of Loewen Behold, a full service fitness practice in Shawnigan Lake. Sarah has known me forever, and that includes our days in high school when sports were my life. So I trusted her to help me get my physical fitness back on the rails.

Yup, my name is Sheila, and I’m a blogger!

So why this post, and where am I going with it?

Well, I know many of you who read my blog are bloggers, too. And if you’re not a blogger, I bet many of you have a day job that requires extended periods of time spent sitting. And if you’re neither of these, I bet reading the short articles linked above will still come as a shock and surprise. I’m not kidding.

But what I’m really trying to do is bring an awareness, and present a partial solution to the greater whole.

A New Office Chair

Here’s what I just ordered for my office… the one on the lower left, but in blue – at least I hope it arrives in blue!

Source: Squidoo

The first time I ever used a stability ball for an office chair was about 6 years ago. I was a casual office assistant at the time, so this was not my permanent work station, and trust me, I wasn’t too keen to navigate the ball with a skirt on! And it was just the ball, no frame, so getting the ball to stop rolling while I tried to clamor on was yet another coordinating comedy in action. Can you picture it?

It was Sarah who told me these balls come with frames. Who knew? I had long forgotten about the ball dressed up as an office chair! And Sarah also advised that it’s good to switch up your chair throughout the day, including some time spent standing and working.

Ergonomics Matter

This all makes sense… and I think I can handle a ball in a frame!

Source: Amazon

I know it looks a little space age, and it’s not exactly the ‘pretty’ I’ve been imagining for the office, but ergonomics must factor into the equation. I’ll do what I can to give it a custom look that fits the rest of the space – you know, recover the back or something. And I do plan to swap between my current chair and this one throughout the day, so it won’t totally impose on the aesthetics of the office all of the time!

Why this chair?

Click here to read more on stability ball chairs. This is just part of the bigger plan to keep my body healthy and fit in this world of blogging.

How are you doing with your physical health? Are you sitting for way too long at a crack?

What Can You Do?

If you need a little personal support, why not get in touch with Sarah. Don’t let distance be the divide. Sarah offers one-on-one sessions via skype! Isn’t that convenient? And she’s amazing! She’ll get you started on a program that’s designed just for you!

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

PS – Don’t forget to enter the Shabby Apple giveaway!

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story! 

If you would like some help with your space contact me here.

Subscribe to SZInteriors by email or RSS feed

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A Belated Reveal: Golf Course Staff Area

March 1, 2012

Way back in December I wrote about volunteering some of my time/services for the Ladysmith Golf Course clubhouse renovation (here).

The project is now complete, and I’m able to share the before/after photos specific to one area in particular where I was able to assist.

Here’s a look at the staff area before it all began.

The staff area is at the back of the room facing the front counter where customers are served… and this was the first impression impact!

The golf course is run by volunteers, and the budget for the overall inside renos was tight. The whole inside was basically gutted and redone, so it was important to be careful how money was spent.

Here’s a look at the reno in progress. The fridge was rerouted (to the left), and a new coffee service station was installed (to the right). The cash register doesn’t live on this counter, so just ignore that it’s there.

The open space between the fridge and coffee station is all that’s available for the new staff table and chairs. And this is where I came in.

Do you remember my very rough sketch of the space slated for the table and chairs? Oh, and that the building is round. So not only is the space very small, but it’s quirky to fit furniture into as well.

Well, quirks aside, here’s a look at the table and chairs finally set into place.

The fridge was shuffled as far left as it could go, but because of a newly installed baseboard heater, which was also fit as snugly into place as possible, it couldn’t go any further left. The new coffee service station is fixed in place, so there’s no room for movement there.

So the only option was to take good measurements, and be able to trust them when I was sourcing the table set. And trust me, it literally came down to the inch. On top of the physical limitations of the space, options were further limited once budget was factored into the equation.

But it all worked out perfectly in the end.

Here’s one more look at the before and after…

There’s enough room to push the inside chair back, and get in and out with ease, which was one of the things to consider.

And isn’t closed storage a great way to go? So much tidier for that first impression impact on the new customers who’ll be coming out to golf this year!

THANKS FOR READING!

xo

It’s about coming home… and home is a remarkable space that tells your story! 

If you would like some help with your space contact me here.

Subscribe to SZInteriors by email or RSS feed

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