Peacocks, For Some Reason

The living room is finally *nearly* complete!  I didn't really set out to re-do the entire thing, but that's almost what ended up happening.  So far I've:

• repaired two broken chairs
• new couch from Ikea
• new "coffee table" trunk from an old trunk  I had in storage
• made over an Ikea cart as a rolling side table/art cart
• Recovered a side chair seat
• Added shelves to the tv console for DVD storage
• Stripped, cleaned, and spray painted Sylvan's Tablemate work table (not blogged) 

Over the weekend I use some peacock calico fabric to make 2 new throw pillows and recover a dining chair that I use as a backpack/purse landing pad in the hallway, and a coordinating wall hanging fabric to make a ...wall hanging.  

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1. Wall hanging over the fireplace
2. Hall chair, an Ikea KAUSTBY
3. Throw pillow and Cat of Approval
4. Peacock fabric and teal cotton backing, on a green towel that serves as an ironing board until I get a new one. 

The fabric isn't exactly upholstery quality - it's just a medium weight cotton calico.  So,  I reinforced it with heavy fusible interfacing and backed it with another medium-weight cotton, so it should be fine.  Not bad for like $40 at Fabric.com (including pillow forms and zippers!).  I started out looking for a botanical on a black ground, but I couldn't find one anywhere that I really loved;  meanwhile, this peacock fabric has all the colors I love and want in the room, and gives about the same look as the black botanical I'd had in mind would have. Score!  

I love the way the wall hanging works on the fireplace, and how the peacock pillows kind of bring everything together. The artwork on the fireplace is all pieces painted by me, by Sylvan, and one by her grandmother. 

While I was removing staples from the chair seat, my hand slipped and
I carved a pretty good chunk out of my knuckle on a broken staple. 
Done. For. The. Night. 

What's Next:

IS IT HERE YET?? IS IT HERE YET?? IS IT HERE YET?? 

Ikea RASKOG Cart Makeover

Making over the RASKOG is a pretty big deal. Google it, or search Pinterest, and you'll see a million different variations - lots of crib-side diaper carts, bathroom carts, bar carts, and an endless barrage of art supply carts.

As much as I love these things, and as many RASKOG carts as I have* I've managed to have never jumped on the RASKOG  re-do bandwagon...until now.

Do your index finger a favor and get a spray gun handle that attaches to a can.

I disassembled the cart and cleaned it thoroughly (dust, dog hair), then primed it with Krylon self-etching metal primer.  It eats into the original finish, giving the spray paint something serious to adhere to, so it doesn't peel or scratch.  The paint I used is Rustoleum's Chalky Finish spray paint, in "mink."

I LOVE THIS PAINT.

Chalk paint is another bandwagon I haven't yet taken a ride on, but man this paint is amazing! Soft and smooth looking, it really is soft and smooth to the touch.  The matte finish means no reflections, which I've always found makes a thing seem to recede into its surroundings (which is awesome, when you have a small house and too much stuff).  Plus, I'm really digging the color.

It's not fully outfitted with all the stuff that's going to be on it yet, but I'll post another pic when it is.  The idea here is that it'll basically be a rolling coffee table that also holds my colored pencil cases and a tablet, so I can have it next to me while sitting on the couch.  I love to watch movies while I work. Especially Moana.  :)

*So, how many RASKOG  carts do I have?  Four: 

1. A turquoise cart which holds my small hand tools in the garage
2. A dark blue cart which holds my art supplies
3. A black cart which holds my bike tools and accessories
4. A newly-painted taupe cart, see above ;) 

Oops, five:  it's not a RASKOG, but I also have a similar cart from Michael's in a mint green, which currently holds all of my music books and doodads.  The mesh on the floor of the trays is finer than the Ikea cart, and not as thick.  It's kind of weak and flimsy, so I don't put a whole lot of weight in it. Originally I used it as my art cart, but the bottoms bent so much they made my cups of brushes and pens fall over.  This cart is the next one I'll be refinishing. 

What's Next?

There's a LOT happening in the living room right now, and it won't be over til about the 13th - that would be Bulk Trash Day, when my giant, ugly, smelly, broken couch goes to live on a farm.  I'll have another living room project for you after the weekend, and then a big update on the living room the second week of August.  I hope!

Meanwhile, please enjoy this little vase of goofy poppies I drew on the inside cover of my 6" Moleskine sketchbook.  Man, I love drawing on black paper. I need to get a lot of it.