Concrete and leather

Glad to see you here! It´s unbelievable how fast time flies! It feels like I just yesterday wrote my last post, but it´s actually been a week already. Last week I mentioned that I´m looking for a solution how to hang the towels in our powder room. If you are new here, you may wonder why it´s a problem, hanging towels?. We have lovely concrete wall hooks and they are big, so the only way we could hang a towel was just placing it on the hook. However that way those lovely hooks were hidden under the towels. Not an ideal solution! I wanted something else and it made me thinking...

Here is what I came up with!

Just some leather strips and curtain hooks with clips (like these from Ikea) and we can see those gorgeous concrete hooks again :)

These are so easy to make but I made a simple instruction anyway. Basically all you need is leather strips, curtain hooks with clips, scissors, a small punch (I looked this word from dictionary, so I hope it´s a correct word ;) )

First you have to decide the length of the strip and cut it to size. Next using the punch make holes on both ends for the curtain hook to go through. If you wish you can use pliers to bend the hook "closed" after that. And that´s it! Super easy, right? And what a difference it makes! I like the look of  the rough concrete and smooth leather together. Black on that wall balances the space nicely and ties everything together.

I love these kinds of fixes: easy, affordable and quick! This could be used in many hooks for easy hanging! 

Next time I´m going to show you what I have in mind for our outdoor spaces, so stay tuned! See you here, again!

Warmly,

Jenni

Concrete hooks and mirrors

I can´t believe it´s almost three weeks since my last post. There were many times I was on a mission to write, but then life happened! I believe in honesty and truth and I want to give you as proper picture of my life as I can. I battle with severe back pains and depression, which is under control. My husband has his share of difficulties, too, but he prefers I don´t talk about them here. You can probably understand why! Then there is our lovely son who suffers from selective mutism. I mention this only to raise the awareness of this form of anxiety, started in early childhood! So life doesn´t always be as positive and happy even though we try our best to enjoy all those little things! It certainly helps to stay positive and to enjoy every day, when our home reflects and feels us.

Speaking of decorating, you may remember that three weeks ago, we were left with our new refreshed powder room! But something was still missing, the hooks! I ordered them from an Etsy shop called Frauklarer and due to many customers had to wait a little longer than usually.They arrived a week and a half ago nicely wrapped and when I opened the package I was pleasantly surprised! It+s always hard to imagine how something looks in real and even though you are given measurements, it´s not the same as actually holding or touching the item. These were a little bigger than I thought, but I like how they stand out against that white wall.

I love the texture and roughness they add and how they compliment the modern feel of the space. There is something special in natural elements, like wood, sand, fire and water. Concrete is also quite natural mix, so it fits right in. 

I decided on three hooks, even though we usually have only one or two towels in use, because they are art works all on their own. I actually love them more without the towels. The only way to hang the towels is to just place them on the hooks, but I have a quick fix in mind, which hopefully gives us a way to hang the towels without covering those beautiful hooks ;) Hopefully it works!

You may also remember that I bought not one, not two but three different mirrors for the space! I loved them all, and knew I could use them elsewhere too! I only buy decor that I know I love and can use in many spaces in our home. In fact it´s been hard deciding where to put those two extra mirrors that left behind from the powder room! After going through many possible places the Ikea Skogsvåg mirror, painted black, ended over our shoe cabinet near our entry. I first kept it on the cabinet for a week and after being sure this is where I want it, I hang it in place. I like how it brings more light in this spot between entry and fireplace room, as far from the front door as the back door.

My goal was to bring more life and more green in this spot and I`m pleased how it turned out! I love this spot over the shoe cabinet as it´s a perfect space to add new things and to bring in seasonal items. Now I wanted to have a light and fresh summery feel! It really brings joy as we do see it many times a day :)

I love the mirror so much that I´d like to buy a couple more! It would fit in our bathroom, bedroom, living room and even in our office/craft room! These kinds of purchases are the best. The ones you are really in love and can use all over your house! This is just the thing Jackie Hernandez from Teal and Lime  emphasizes in her first book called Free decorating. That is a decor book worth reading! Many of her principles I have used before, but after reading the book, my eyes opened even more to what comes to my spending habits and settling on things I don´t really love. If I don´t find the right piece right away, I should wait, not rush to by something that I just appreciate, not love. Because, those things you don´t love, you end up getting rid off. They don´t have a real staying power and at the same time you loose money, which you could have used wisely!  I could write a whole post about the book and how it affected my values and made me really reflect things!

But back to our mirror ;). How do you like it here? On these light walls it really stands out and is a great contrast. I love monochromatic and analogous color schemes with a contrasting black and white.

These fresh colors are from my whole house color scheme. I like to stick with neutrals in big surfaces like furniture, but add some interest with light turquoise, aqua, jade green, basically analogical colors from blue to green.

The other mirror from Pentik, with a hanging rope is still waiting for it´s spot! It may end up in our living room, where I hung it to test how I like it there. It´s a little lonely there, so I may use it in our office/craft room, but I´m also very tempted to take it outside to our front porch or to our backyard deck. I´ll fill you with the details once I decide ;) 

Do you have pieces you love and have trouble finding a place, because they would look so good in many spaces? 

See you here again!

Warmly,

Jenni

One room Challenge - The Reveal!

So here we are, after five short weeks, it´s finally the Reveal time :) We were able to tackle this project during these weeks and it was a big deal to us. This is the only space, where my new style can be seen in everything, and that makes me smile :)

This post is loaded with photos, so let´s get to it! I got a little carried away with  photographing, but I just LOVE this space so much! Before the after photos, let´s take a look at how things used to look! And here you can check out the progress and the earlier posts!

Those before shots are quite depressing. I´m so glad we were able to finally redo this space! I bet you want to see the after photos already!

In my ideal world we would have a window in our powder room, so I could have a plant there all the time, that´s why I wanted to take photos with some greenery, too. However those branches are a little more practical solution for this windowless space.

As you can see, I finally went with the rectangular mirror, but not without problems. Remember me ordering one from Ikea? I was so exited when it arrived and went to pick the package, only to find out it was in bits and pieces. That was last Wednesday! We had a National holiday on Friday, so all shops were closed. I had no other choice than visiting Ikea on Saturday! I ended buying two mirrors, just in case ;), a round and rectangular Skogsvåg mirror. I painted them black to match better with the decor. I tried them both over the the sink and I must say it was a though decision between them!

I love how the rectangular mirror looks with the sink. It also makes the space look more open!

 Speaking of loving, that faucet and those pendants are really an icing on the cake. 

 

Wouldn´t you like to wash your hands under a waterfall? ;)

The drawer system below the counter top is essential in this space. It offers just enough space for everyday essentials!

By far the best things in this space are the birch wood planks turned to a counter top and a shelf. I´m so glad I game up with the plan of using them and the leaving the live edge!

Do you see the back wall, not empty any more! I tried many different art works and frames and ended up using these (for a while at least). I love to change things every now and then and for that reason I wanted a shelf. No marks on those newly painted walls, please!

I found just the perfect Himmeli wreath tutorial from Vintage and Revivals -blog last fall. It´s easy to make and reminds me of Finnish traditions, after all Himmelis are from Finland! I´ve made a Himmeli lamp, too and just love that technique! That wreath has been one of my favorite one since then. Now that this one is here, I may have to make another one to use elsewhere in our home.

I also framed some fabric and an art work I made at the weekend! It turned out great and it fits this space just right!

I dreamed long for Svedbergs Svea toilet paper holder, but it costs way too much, so Ikea came to rescue with Svartsjön paper holder. I attached it to the vanity using 3M Picture hanging strips. That Iris Hantverk`s toilet brush was my first purchase for the space and it gave inspiration for the whole space! 

The Himmeli wreath and that candle holder from Ellos go together so well! And I love that black against the wood!

So there you have it! How do you like the space? There is still four things missing from that space! I made an order from an Etsy shop called Frauklarer. I hope to get those three wall hooks and a medium planter very soon, so I can make the final touches to this space! They are going to be just the right add to this all! 

  

Thank you all for stopping by and following along. I truly appreciate you visiting and commenting! It feels so heart warming to know there are people who like my style and this little blog of mine! My journey has just began, so I´d be honored if you would follow along!

Here is the budget breakdown :

• vanity and sink: 299 euros on discount at the time (taloon.com)
• faucet: 149 euros on discount at the time (taloon.com)
• counter and shelf: Free
• mirror: 39 euros (+shipping 8 euros) (Ikea)
• plumber: 147
• lighting: 135 euros (Valomaja)
• paints and brushes: 127 (Rautia Mäntsälä)
• trims and trim paint: 106 (Rautia Mäntsälä)
• brackets: 40 with shipping (Tuxford Furniture Hardware)
• baskets: 14,99 piece (H&M)
• frames: free
• soap dispenser and glass jar: 7,99 piece (H&M)
• toilet brush: 42 euros (Cilla´s)
• glass vase: 18 euros (H&M) no longer available
• art: free

Total of 1141 euros. We had budgeted about 1200-1300 euros, so we were able to do it under budget! My mother-in-law gave us some money to renovate the space and frankly without her, we couldn´t have done this. So thank you Anne!

If you haven´t already visited the other blogs participating now is the perfect time to head back to Calling it home to check out all the other Reveals! I´m going myself, too! Loads of ideas and pretty pictures to see :), who could resists! 

Remember though, you are always welcomed back here :)

One room Challenge - week 5

Here again! Hi you all! It has been heart-warming to see more and more visitors and comments week after week! Thank you all for visiting. If you are new hear or want to get to know me better, you can do it here.

Taking part to this wonderful One room Challenge as a linking participant has been great! If you want to read about our progress, you can check all the previous posts. I have found many interesting new blogs to read and week after week I have been impressed by others creativity and ideas! So, remember to check back at Calling it home -blog what other participants have done this week! After all, there is only one week to go before the big reveal!

Actually we don´t have a whole week, because finishing the space, taking photos and writing a post takes time, too! We have still things to do, so hopefully we get it all done!

This week we had two important tasks, installing the floating shelf and adding trims. Well - hmm - we did finish the other one ;). Want to know which one it is?

Yep, the shelf! I love the live edge counter top so much, that I decided to use the same kind of wood plank to make the shelf. Actually this piece was leftover from the other plank. Remember we needed a piece to make the counter top deep enough. This piece is the other side from that plank, we needed the straight side and now we need the live-edge side. We are fortunate to have these planks for free from my husbands father. If we should have bought these, it would have cost way too much for us!

I thought about adding a continuous shelf from the sink wall to the back wall. It´s such a small space, that I thought it´s best to keep it simple. There was actually no use for the shelf above the sink, apart the fact that the first mirror wouldn´t look too small. But having another mirror and loving simple spaces I decided to install only one shelf. I even doubted the need for that. I like to change the art on the walls and with a shelf it´s easier, because you don´t leave any marks on the wall.

See that empty wall! I started with cutting in size and sanding the plank. I used the same clear finish, what I used for the counter top, to give it a few protective coats. The essential part is wiping it with a damp cloth first, then sanding it. Between coats it´s also important to sand it with 180-200 grid paper. It guarantees a nice and smooth surface at the end. After some drying time, we were ready for installing the shelf!

I knew from day one, that we need/want some kind of shelf, but that was it. I wanted it to look as simple as possible, no visible brackets. I search for examples. There where loads of instructions how to built a floating shelf, but it was hard to find an instruction where they would use a real plank. There was one in Jenna Sue´s blog, but they made their own brackets. After some more searching I found those brackets, I showed you last time. I found them on Amazon. There can be found also another type of brackets used in floating shelves. Anyway, they didn´t ship those to Finland! After searching some more (again), I found an UK company called Tuxford Furniture Hardware Ltd and they shipped to Finland! I was happy dancing at that moment!

Well back to the installation itself! We decided to use two brackets for this small shelf. It depends on the shelf and it´s weight, how many you should use.First of all I decided where I wanted the shelf to be. Using our level I draw small marks across the width the shelf would go. Horizontally I wanted the shelf to be in the middle of the wall, so I started by measuring the wall and the shelf and their middle points. On the leveled line I draw small mark to show the center of the wall.  Then I took the plank and measured the distance from the center to the point I wanted the bracket to be. Then I measured that same distance from the wall´s center point outwards, on both sides. That way I was left two more marks on the plank and the wall.

To get the brackets to the wall, we had to drill holes for them. We used just a little smaller drill bit than the brackets screw part. Using our adjustable spanner I turned the brackets in place.

Note: Check what material your walls are before drilling! Our walls are made from logs and others have paneling. On this wall we had paneling and the stud run in the middle of the wall, so we had just the paneling to attach the brackets to. Luckily the paneling is very durable and thick so it hold on the weight of the shelf and those light frames we are going to put on it.

Here they are both in place. At this point it´s best to use liner to make sure the brackets are in line. If not, no need to panic. It´s possible to drill the needed holes to the plank so that the shelf is balanced.

You need to check are your marks on the plank in right places. At this point you can measure and double check the situation. Our brackets were just slightly imbalance, so we decided to drill the other hole slightly lower that the shelf would be in line once in place. The thicker the plank the more you can adjust the place for the hole.

Next game the actual drilling. You need the same size drill as the brackets other end is. We had 12mm. We had a just the right wood drill bit in hand. After drilling we tried an extra bracket to the hole. The hole wasn´t deep enough! I should have considered that! So what to do?

It was pure luck that I happened to found an old drill bit exact the same size, but longer! In no time we had the holes. Problem solved :)

Then came the most exiting phase, putting the shelf in place! The question: "Will it fit, or do we have to start again?", run in my mind! I was so glad that it actually fit just right, it was even lined up perfectly! But, (you probably already waited something to happen, don´t you? ), the other end of the shelf didn´t go in it´s place, it slide out of place. So some problem solving was needed again! It was my husband, who suggested that I should wrap some painter´s tape to the bracket, to make the connection tighter.

It helped! Can you believe it? What some tape cannot fix! Basically the shelf should go in tightly to hold it in place. That usually happens all by itself, because it´s hard to get the brackets and holes to meet exactly.

I liked using these brackets and luckily ordered some more for future projects! The shelf itself is so beautiful! I love the live edge and I´m happy I ended up installing just this one shelf. It´s just the right spot to introduce some art to the space. Speaking of art, I´ve painted some and plan on trying to DIY some. Let´s just see how they turn out and what I end up using for the final reveal!

What comes to the trim work, I have started prepping for it. We bought the trims and I have even painted them. I wanted them to match the walls and the ceiling. I had to buy a paint which is durable enough for trims and doors etc. and eggshell finish wasn´t an option in that paint. I chose the nearest possible, so satin it was. Here in Finland we have a paint company called Tikkurila, which makes all kinds of paints and has it´s own paint chart. I have been using their cart to select all the paints I have used. Their products are really high-quality.

After painting the trims, we were ready to install them the next day. Unfortunately it has been raining since then. That´s a problem, because we need our jig saw near by, but not indoors, so the only option is to put it in our front yard. Much easier to clean the outdoors than inside! The weather should get better tomorrow, but for the next couple days we are celebrating Vappu (Labor day). We may end up installing trims on the 1st of May ;). Well, maybe not! I´m happy if we get them done by the Sunday evening!

We´ll meet soon again! Now of to go to LInda´s blog to check out the other posts!

One room Challenge - week 4

Welcome back! I can´t believe it already week 4 and we still have a lot to do. At least it´s lot for us. This week we didn´t get as much done as I hoped for, so next week we have to get things done. This week we have enjoyed a lovely spring weather, so we haven´t done much in our powder room. Also my back pains have set limitations to me.

This weeks to do list was this: finish the table top and install in place, look for a new mirror, buy new trims and paint them before installation, design the floating shelf and make it (installation when the brackets arrive)

Well, I must admit that we don´t have our trims bought yet, no floating shelf which to install and the brackets arrived today. So nothing much has been going on here, except we have been enjoying our new space! Every time I walk in there I feel satisfied and excited. This is finally the space I´ve been dreaming to achieve, Even with all the setbacks we have finished something off of the list!

I decided to use a clear finish for our live-edge table top. If I ever change my mind, it´s easy to add color. For now I´m pretty pleased how it turned out, or what do you think?

To install it in place we used a piece of the same wood, which we drilled to the wall. The table top rest on it. It was a little tricky job, because we both had to be in that tiny space, me under the table top ready to drill, while my husband (not a small man, I should say ;)) hold the piece in place and leveled it. I decided to paint the wood white to match the walls, so it kind of blends in.The other end rest on the vanity a fact we had to consider when installing the vanity itself, because we had to use longer screws to hold all the weight. We did not attach the table top yet, as we may have to take it out temporarily when installing the wall shelf! It is heavy enough to stay in place and such a great fit it won´t move out of place.

I loved the mirror I had for the space and I felt sad and disappointed when I found out it´s just too small for the space.  It could work if I had a shelf underneath it to balance things out a bit. I´m a member of a School of Decorating, a online school founded by Jackie Hernandez. There are video classes, forum for the members and expert interviews. The community is very active and I have  had so many good advice from there! Someone suggested adding a shelf underneath and there I was able to share my thoughts about a new mirror and ask for advice. There is also a Facebook group you can join by signing up. I shared there a few photos to get opinions about the possible new mirror.

I decided I needed something to better visualize the space and different mirror options. So after narrowing my search on a few mirrors I made templates out of paper to get a better idea, what they would look like. I had a small round one (bigger that the Lovely mirror I have), a big round one and a rectangular one. I really liked the big round one, Ikea Stockholm mirror to be precise, but I felt the style just was not right for this space. I also loved the rectangular one, also from Ikea, the Skogsvåg, I love the simple shape and the small wooden frame it has. I´m planning to paint it black when I finally get it in my hands! As those long shopping trips to Ikea wear me out every time (because of my back pains) I decided to use their online shopping and post delivery! At the end of next week I should have the mirror!

The idea of a shelf under the mirror and over the sink really stick in my mind though. Remember one of my inspiration pictures?

When I saw the photo, I really loved the look. Unfortunately I had already ordered brackets for the back wall floating shelf. I ordered some extra, but they are longer than I´d like the shelf to be, so still wondering what to do. We really don´t have time to order new and smaller ones. So I may have to forget that idea all together and concentrate adding the floating shelf to the back wall.

During this whole four weeks time I have searched for concrete wall hooks. I did find some, which could be delivered to Finland, but the costs are not so wallet-friendly ;). I found lovely hooks from an Etsy shop, and the owner even agreed to ship them to me, but it would take at least three weeks to get the hooks due to he´s holiday. Bummer! I also found these from the Etsy and love the shape of them. There are also many great wooden ones so I just have to sit down and decide what direction to go! We do have the holes in the wall already waiting for the hooks. I had to add one temporary hook to hold our towel ;) I don´t want to end up using it with two more holes in the wall ;)

Although our progress last week was good, this week really put us back. Next week is going to be a busy week. We need to buy the trim, install it and make the floating shelf. Finish all the big things, so I have time to add those little things in the last week. 

Make sure to check how all the other are doing this week back at Calling it home!

See you again soon!