Project: Muskoka Bedroom

I've started to think about our cottage bedroom and have been getting my hands dirty with some minor projects for it lately. While we are trying to save all of our money for our first house purchase, I am attempting to reuse old furniture and items my parents have hanging around - many of which were already one step out the door and on their way to the dump!

Here is a little peak at one item I salvaged from my aunt and uncle who have a cottage next door. This turquoise number has started its transformation...

It is an old, dovetail joint tool box from Scandinavia that has been waiting patiently for a facelift. My dad's uncle gave him an almost exact match which was never painted and it looks beautiful in the cottage entry. I can't wait to see this one in our bedroom! You will have to come back and see how I plan to use it...

Project: Muskoka Front Door

It has been hard finding time for blogging with this great summer weather we are finally experiencing in Toronto! As I promised a few weeks back, here are some after photos of our cottage front door, all painted and pretty!

We wanted something that worked well with the putty coloured faux-wood board and baton and shingles, and the orangey rough douglas fir accents. We were also trying to stay away from the usual cottage suspects - dark green, deep rust and brown. 

The solution: BURNT ORANGE

In order to minimize, or play down, the orange colour of the fresh douglas fir, we chose a burnt orange. It may seem the opposite, but by using an analogous colour-scheme (where colours are from the same side of the colour wheel) and using a colour that blends in with the redwoods, it actually makes the orange shade of wood less noticeable. Analogous colour-schemes are more relaxing and pleasing to the eye - perfect for easy living at a cottage! If we had chosen a blue or green paint, the colour-scheme would have been more dynamic complimentary scheme (where colours are from the opposite side of the colour wheel) and the douglas fir would have actually appeared more orange. 

Project: Muskoka Getaway

Today I'm going to introduce you to a project that I have been helping with, on and off, for the past couple of years! My family is lucky to own a fantastic little piece of Muskoka - aka beautiful cottage country in Ontario.

Over the past few years my parents have been renovating what was a tiny summer cottage (I am on the hunt to find some before photos) into a larger all-season home (see below). While I don't get final say in ANYTHING (boo!) my brother (an architect) and I (an interior designer) are asked our "expert" opinions whenever possible - this was hard while I was living in California which was the reality until a month ago. 

 A little background, this new cottage was designed by an architect before my brother was even in school to become one, and also before I started ID school. This is also not my parents' first stab at home renovation. They built my childhood 4,000 square foot home from the ground up - my father's hobby is very likely the reason both of his children fell in love with architecture and design! Back to the cottage, we LOVE the architectural design, but there are definitely issues that we all wish were realized and addressed before building commenced. Seriously, think about how furniture will be placed in each room while you are still finalizing floor plans and elevations,  and deciding on colour-schemes and materials BEFORE you start these types of projects is highly recommended! Figuring things out as you go is NEVER easy or best!

Enough talking at you, here is the basic shell of the cottage when you arrive...

{cottage in 2009 via cell phone camera}

We've been working slowly at finishing more of the entry, both exterior and interior, and here's a peak at some of the completed parts and other things that are in the works...

I'll reveal what we've finished after this weekend. The front door colour was a difficult decision!

Elbow Grease: Cabinet Reveal

This reveal has been a long time coming! You may remember, last summer I bought this Pier 1 TV cabinet on Craigslist to hide our ugly electronics - I painted it persimmon (one of the colours in our living room rug, and the main colour of our curtains too) and added these antique brass pulls...

...and have been enjoying its cheeriness ever since! 

Before & After

Elbow Grease: One Dresser, Two Ways {Ikea Rast}

Do you know what I love? How many amazing design blogs there are out there, waiting for me to discover them and be inspired. I seriously CANNOT keep up with reading current favourites and finding new ones! It is really sad because I know I am missing out. 

Today, however, I did stumble on a great blog - and what makes today even better? The fact that I found this great blog through an amazing DIY furniture makeover. Two scores!

On the left is the fabulous Dorothy Draper style dresser by Vancouver blogger Nancy from Marcus Design (the blog I just found), and on the right is the equally remarkable two-tone dresser created by Toronto blogger Lindsay from Aubrey + Lindsay (who copied the Rast dresser she saw in Style at Home magazine). I would honestly love to recreate both of these dressers, just need to find the right room for both of them!! It seems that Canadian girls are really stealing the show when it comes to Ikea Rast makeovers - these are stunners and look pricy! Who knew a  $30 DOLLAR DRESSER, with a little elbow grease, could look so good!?

Can you believe they started like this?

And don't they look exactly like their $$$ counterparts?! I am in love.

{via & via}

For full step-by-step details on how these ladies went about their makeovers, check out Marcus Design and Aubrey + Lindsay. They have many other great projects too!

Elbow Grease: Cabinet & Mirror Makeover

I originally posted about this project over at GEORGE Interior Design last year, but I am adding it here too as the first addition to my "elbow grease", aka DIY, category. Still haven't revealed the zany colour of the cabinet post makeover! Got to get on that!

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I've got two DIY projects waiting for me in my storage unit. I can't wait to get my hands on these!

I've been wanting to swap out our current, college-esque TV stand and last month I found a cabinet PERFECT for hiding our TV. It has doors to conceal the ugly flatscreen, not to mention a shelf that holds the receivers up high where my baby can't reach the DVD eject button (Open, close. Open, close.) Due to our non-existant budget, I searched Craigslist to find it...

We bought this unused, Pier 1 Imports cabinet for $80! I know it isn't the best quality around, but I think it was a pretty good deal...

We have a rug with a mix of persimmon, gold and blue-grey so I'm planning to paint it a high-gloss color something similar to this...

And these are the pulls I'm ordering. I like how they work with the gold nail head detail of my new sofa, but have a hint of black too...

After envisioning my new cabinet, I stumbled on this photo in Lonny. I'm liking the combo!

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I also found some crazy mirrors at a garage sale. This pair was only $20, which is an amazing deal for mirrors! I really love the shape and think they will be great behind our bedside tables...

{Don't mind me in my yoga attire...}

As of now, the plan is paint them blue-grey in a flat finish...

Stay tuned for results! I always get worried about my painting technique and concealing brushstrokes - wish me luck!