Arte Es Vida

 I do so hate ugly light fixtures.  I’ve been giving the one in my bedroom/bathroom (I have one of those early 80s bedrooms that has a hall to the attached bathroom that has a sink and mirror in it) the stinkeye for years. I finally I bought a thrift store chandelier and painted it white to match the room.  Hubby cut down the wiring and chain so we could hang it without bumping our heads on it.  I haven’t purchased new glass globes yet (I am planning on thrifting those too, haven’t found any I like) but I like it the way it is now, even without the glass globes.

Oh yes, chillens.  I’m still here.  And I’ve actually be doing some projecty things but between work, school, and my practicum I haven’t had much time to do things PLUS write about them.  But today I was off, and am avoiding studying for comps.  So here goes.

This room is my parent’s office.  I know, right?  My mom asked me this weekend if I would redo it for her.  When I started to cry she said “You know, like this summer? Maybe?  I know you’re really busy.  Just whenever.”

She didn’t realize they were tears of joy and I was dragging her off to Target that very second.  Her office has caused me years of cognitive dissonance that I was dying to correct.

The parameters of the challenge:

• 80% will be Use-What-We-Have  Fortunately for her that includes what WE have, not just what SHE has. She already bought a futon-ish thing for that room (you can see in pic 4) for seating and sofaing.  Anything else we buy will be of the curtain (I suggested we make them, she laughed until she wet herself) or possibly cheap Ikea modular storage variety.   I have some MOMA prints stashed that shes going to frame and use, plus some other art and photos hanging on my walls that she asked for.  (which isn’t nearly as assume-y as you would think if you consider the sheer quantity of stuff I have hanging on my walls).Other stuff will be from my garage, closets,  thrift stores, or repurposed bits and pieces.
• It still has to be functional.  It has to hold her desk and my dad’s desk.  Or rather it might be better to stay it should BECOME functional.  Calling it functional now is pushing it a wee bit.  She likes my chalkboard wall so the wall behind her desk may become one.  We will be addressing added storage and shelving.
• The color stays the same.  It’s actually quite nice except for the fact that it stops dramatically where the closet starts.  My dad is very proud of it and would cry if he was asked to repaint.
• The closet doors got to go.  They are warped and horrid.  There is not funding for them to be replaced. My plan is to hang curtains that match the ones that will go over the windows.  I have an idea for the random paint-stops-here issue that I will detail later on.  Any other creative ideas are much welcome.
• She wants that room to become the main TV watching room with plenty of seating that can convert into sleeping when my brother and 5 friends show up for school breaks.

 So send me your remarks and ideas and suggestions.  If I use one of them I will send you a present.  I don’t know what it will be, but I promise it will not suck.  More pictures and updates as we get started!