Superior Sideboard

You might remember my post about searching for the perfect sideboard and my quest for the right shade of turquoise to paint it. Well, I found the sideboard at my local Salvation Army and after going back and forth between a dozen turquoise swatches I ended up going with my very first choice, Benjamin Moore's Tropicana Cabana. I'm so happy I did; this turquoise turned out to be a near-perfect match to 'Tiffany Blue', a happy coincidence I'd say. I purchased pretty ceramic knobs to replace the brass hardware at Anthropologie and I'm happy to say that the newly improved sideboard is in place and looking fine.

Here's the before:

I was sold when I saw that this solid wood piece had doors that bi-folded and then totally back on themselves. It had creepy carpeting on the inside but at $15 I just couldn't pass it up. I would love to say that I painted the sideboard myself but I have already confessed that painting is not one of my strong points. Nope, it was my mom. The sideboard turned out perfectly because of all the time she spent sanding, priming and painting. And the carpet is gone too. Thank you Mom, you really spoil me.

Here is a progress pic:

And this is the finished product (I like how the paint changes in the light):

There is ample storage for media, books and E's toys.

This is how we did it:

Sideboard: Salvation Army Thrift Shop, $16.79
Paint: Benjamin Moore Advance in Tropicana Cabana, FREE (this can was comped for a mis-tint my mom had purchased for another project, but it's usually around $50 per gallon).
Hardware: Anthropologie, $26.88
Time: About one week with prep work, priming, two coats of paint and 4 days of drying time. And FYI, my Mom's time is priceless :)

TOTAL: $43.67

Tempting Turquoise

As I mentioned, I am eager to add more colour to our home and am currently tempted by turquoise. I have a piece of framed Cavallini wrapping paper from The Cross in my kitchen and I would like to find a turquoise just like the 'Air France' brochure seen in the upper right on the paper. It's not too blue, not too green, but just right.

{Paper Source}

I did a quick sweep through Benjamin Moore last week to pick up swatches and here are a few turquoises I am considering for the tv sideboard:

skydive

tropicana cabana

poolside blue

capri seas

scuba green

Seeing all the colours on screen I think I've made my decision!

Dumpster Diving

I'm a dumpster diver and I am not afraid to admit it. While I don't actually score dumpsters I have been known to pull over to check out the free stuff people leave in their lanes. Most of it is crap, but if Sarah Richardson has taught me anything, it's that you may just find something with 'great lines' in the garbage.

{facebook}

Unlike Sarah I do not have a team of re-upholsterers or furniture sprayers at the ready but I do have my dad and he is willing to help me with just about anything (see banquette). And thanks to my dad I didn't have to miss out on a garbage score just because I was on my way to bootcamp ... he retrieved it for me!

And what a find this is. I've had my eye on IKEA's discontinued Meldal day bed for Eloise's big-girl bed for some time so I'm sure you can imagine my glee when I saw this exact bed in my neighbour's garbage with a 'Free' sign. I figured I would just find one on Craigslist, but you really can't beat the price of free.

{apartment therapy}

My garbage score.

Eloise is not ready for her big girl bed yet, but I would like to set it up in her room (and redecorate again?!) in the next few months so that she can get used to it before she making the move. I'm going to paint the bed too, so the most important question is: Skyscraper or Peony?

Paint

Not quite as crisp as they are in person!

The foundation of a space is the wall colour and for me, choosing this is one of the best parts about decorating. I think I will forever find happiness in searching for - and finding - that perfect paint colour.

My favourite paints come from Benjamin Moore as I find their colours have good depth and go on beautifully. They are not at the top of the price range, nor are they the bottom, but a quality paint does make a difference so I'm willing to pay a little more than the hardware store brands.

At the new house we have chosen to paint all common rooms the same colour, a warm, taupey grey called Florentine Plaster. The ceilings are painted in the fresh Cloud White, which is also carried throughout the house on doors, trim and mouldings. For both bedrooms we chose an icy blue called Seafoam and in the bathroom we used Halo, a muted taupe. To create a 'mantle' around the black gas fireplace insert we are painting out the surround in deep Chelsea Grey.

What are your favourite paint colours?

The New Kitchen

It looks like our kitchen installation will commence in just a few weeks, how exciting! We're heading to Ikea today to purchase our cabinetry, the gas line is being installed on Wednesday, painting is almost finished and our appliances should be arriving within the next week or so. Woohoo! It's going to be a beautiful kitchen.

1. Blanco Granite for the Countertops
2. Florentine Plaster by Benjamin Moore for the walls
3. Mosaic Subway Tile for the Backsplash
4. Metro Shelving as open storage
5. GE Counter-depth Refrigerator
6. Island Hood Fan
7. GE Cafe Duel-fuel Gas Range
8. Domsjo Double Basin Apron Front Sink
9. Abstrakt High Gloss White Cabinetry
10. Bosch Stainless Steel Dishwasher