Monday, January 2, 2012

It Begins: Project Craft Room

So I've been talking about this craft room a lot lately, but I have some exciting news! On NYE, I started my first project toward making it happen. Aside from pinning ideas for it, that is. Before I get into it, here's the run-down on what needs to be done:



  • Clear room of "junk" and find storage solutions in either the closet, garage, or shed


  • Paint walls in tone-on-tone light greyish-purple horizontal stripes - the paint has been chosen!


  • Build desk and put up shelving


  • Figure out what to do with Dan's giant ugly black dresser (this is called foreshadowing)


  • Take closet doors off and replace with fun patterned curtains that coordinate with existing limey green block-out curtains on the windows. We're doing this because the storage we're keeping isn't really conducive to the range of the doors now - getting out my ribbons and cookie cutters is a pain. Not to mention, Dan's tattoo supplies will now live in the closet (climate control) and the cart won't fit in it with the doors. So, curtains it is.


  • Make/buy fun pillows for futon


  • Create functional storage for wrapping paper/gift bags, etc.


  • Decorate!

Keep in mind that while on a day-to-day basis, the room will be for creativity. But it is also serving as our only guest room while we have a roommate, so the futon will be staying and serving as a couch for now. Once we no longer have a roommate, our queen bed will be moved to the 3rd room and we'll get a king. But this is all in the undetermined future.

So, back to the first project. I had gone shopping at Pier 1 on Saturday and used a gift card to buy what I like to call, "the most glorious pillow ever made." It's big and royal purple and ruffley and I love it. Dan might not call it that, but what does a boy know about pillows anyway. We were talking about the plans and paint colors for the craft room, and I dragged him in to visually show him my layout, and said, "but we have to do something about that!" and pointed to his big ugly black dresser. The thing is huge - it was at his parents' house when he was growing up, he probably painted it black at some point in his teen years, and it somehow became ours when he moved in. I don't do black furniture. It's harsh looking and doesn't go with anything that we have. So when I was threatening to have to do something about it, Dan was willing to compromise, considering it's still full of a lot of his stuff (stuff = papers, old wallets on chains, pictures, tiny Virgin Mary statues, etc.). The compromise: he could keep it in the room if I could paint it to go with my color scheme.


And so, the most awesome dresser in the universe came to be. Beeeehold!


Isn't it fabulous? I pretty much want to take it to dinner and then marry it in about 6 months. It's my soulmate. The color is actually going to appear much darker when it's in the room and not in direct sunlight. It's really very close to the color of the most glorious pillow ever made. And it's just the push we both needed to get started on the room transformation, which we're hoping to have done by about mid-March, budget allowing.


The best part is, I have Dan's full support and enthusiasm. He seems to get that I need this space for my sanity and well-being. I'm so thankful that he sees this as our project and is almost as excited as I am to make it just right. What a wonderful way to start the New Year - I really couldn't have hoped for better!


Edited to add: As requested by Allyson, I present to you, the "most glorious pillow ever made."





And yes, I named the jpeg file that.

4 comments:

Allyson said...

I saw this on FB yesterday and immediately thought, "that is completely unique and utterly awesome!!" I can see how, painted in black, it would be an eyesore. But as purple, it's mysterious and when it proposed to you after 6 months of dating, it wouldn't just give you a round diamond on a gold band, it would give you a rare, purple diamond on a vintage band. You are going to be very happy together.

I do want to see a picture of the best pillow ever, though.

Kallay said...

I'm excited to see the full transformation of this craft room! Especially since you've become a destination page on Pinterest with all your Christmas saving ideas and all. ;)

I have a brown pillow that looks similar to your purple pillow. I might have to convince Ryan that brown pillow needs a purple girlfriend. Though it will completely clash with every little thing in our living room. :-/

Anonymous said...

The dresser looks absolutely amazing. If i had never seen it black it would be hard to know how ugly it used to be. Way to go Brooke.

Shana said...

It looks terrific in purple. Sort of quirky and fabulous. Love it!