Furniture to match my blog: A dresser redo~

I have been wanting to switch up the living room for quite a while. I really, really, really, really, really times 10 to the 3rd power wanted to add in the color blue. The color of my blog...okay, that's not the reason...but don't you think it's nice for your blog to match your decor? Ha! Alas, our rug (which was lovely and in great shape) was all in warm shades of gold, red and brown. But then, as you may recall, the Princess was sick in the living room. Gross. But serendipitous in a way.

We *had* to replace that rug, so for Christmas the hubby and I pooled our gift money and bought a new rug. Pretty and neutral.


NEW RUG



Then the fireworks began. With a new neutral rug, my decorating-obsessed self was free to make some switcheroos.

I am lucky to have a hubby that loves decor *almost* as much as I do. He is really open to my suggestions of change. And very helpful as well. So when I told him I wanted to switch around the living room and add some blue...he was game.



Enter this pretty little $25 dresser. Yep! $25. It was an aweful minty shade of green. (Doesn't look quite as minty or aweful in this photo.) But it had pretty lines. And, did I mention it was only $25?!?



DRESSER BEFORE (the hubby had already started removing the knobs...bless him...he's not a blogger, afterall...but he did stick the drawers back in and even took the before photo for me.)

I told the hubby I wanted to put it in the living room...and I wanted it to be blue. He agreed. And even volunteered to do the painting since I am currently bogged down with other stuff.

Here comes the tricky part. We wanted to find the perfect shade of blue. So I emailed this sweet lady who has a fabulous dresser in a delightful shade of blue. And off we went to Lowe's to get the paint. Alas, it was not quite the right shade for our decor. So we had them lighten it to 75%...brought it home...painted the dresser...still not right.

Then I pulled out some pretty throw pillows we had in the master bedroom and asked the hubby if he thought their color might work. A nice grey-ish french blue. He loved it. So off we went to Lowe's again...pillow sham in hand... and found the perfect blue. Cafe blue by Valspar in semi-gloss.

And the hubby (injured leg and all) painted the dresser yet again. We switched out the knobs for some fabulous clearance versions (again from Lowe's) and VOILA! The perfect addition to our living room makeover.

Here she is in all her glory.

DRESSER AFTER

(And what French Blue dresser would be complete without a little Le Tour Eiffel?)

Of course...when you add a blue dresser to the living room...you have to shift furniture...paint other furniture...switch up the accessories...switch the slipcover on the sofa...etc. etc. I'll show you all the rest of the changes just as soon as I figure out what to do with the curtains. They are in dire need of a little spruce up! But for now...I'm sure loving that blue dresser!

xoxo

Wendy

Frugal Friday~

Welcome to this week's edition of the Frugal Friday Linky Party! So glad you all could join me!

Perhaps you've seen this pretty skeleton key art that Restoration Hardware sells for $199. Love it....but definitely don't love the price.

Image from Restoration Hardware

I had similar frames that have been reincarnated a couple of times for my bedroom. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you may remember this version.

Pretty, but definitely doesn't fit in my newly redone master bedroom.

So I simply tore off the scrapbook paper that I used to wrap the mattes. Then I pulled out a few skeleton keys (luckily I have been saving them in my stuff-that-I-plan-on-using-to-decorate-someday collection) and hot glued them onto some scraps of linen fabric. Popped them into the frames and VOILA! My own skeleton-key art for free.

And it looks very similar to theirs, don't ya think?

Times that by 3, and I figure I saved myself about $600 AND I got the perfect art to fill up the empty wall space on the left side of the bed.

Now I'd love to see what you all have been up to this week!

You know "da rules"...

1. Link directly to your post, not just to your blog.

2. Please link back to the Shabby Nest so others can enjoy the frugal goodness that is the Frugal Friday Linky Party.

3. Comment Comment Comment!

Enjoy~