Warning: I’m about to show you something gross. Okay, not really gross, but sort of pathetic, and a little embarrassing. Are you ready?
Gah! My eyes! The combination of the automatic flash + my racoon cat makes this look like a crime scene photo, when in fact it’s the sad, sorry little corner where I sat to get ready for the day. Objects in the photo include, but are not limited to: books, a box of golf balls, dirty laundry, clean laundry, printer paper, lady products, and canadian flag in the window. Every morning, in the midst of this hodge-podge, I would plop down on the floor, blindly shove my contacts into my eyes, plug in my blowdryer and slap on some makeup. Usually in that order.
While the rest of my house has, fortunately, moved away from “university student” decor over the past few years, a few leftover clues remain (our bedside table is a rubbermaid container with a scarf over it). This corner still looked like it was inhabited by a 20-something college kid who was either jacked up on coffee or hungover from a night of smoke machines and dollar beers.
Over the holidays, I was newly inspired by my mom’s thrifty solutions to decor problems, so I decided to attack this corner with the same strategy. The result:
Much better! Wouldn’t you say?
The room renovation began with a hunt for a vanity. My first stop was the trusted Salvation Army. I didn’t come home with a vanity. I did, however, come home with the cute lamp and big mirror you see above. Both $4.99. A few days later, I paid a visit to the Bibles For Missions Thrift Store. They usually have a larger selection of furniture, and lo, they had this charming dressing table! The vanity cost me more than I wanted ($35 plus a delivery charge of nearly as much). However, when you’re shopping at a place that exists only to further missionary projects run by the Bible League, you can also consider your purchase a donation – and that should make anyone loosen their purse strings.
I also picked up a small stool for $10, and a whack of stripey yellow fabric for $2.50 (I originally picked out a totally awesome hippy-dippy paisley pattern, but when I asked my husband how much he hated he, he said “I hate it so much”. If he had responded with “I hate it only a little” I would have taken it).
So, once home, I recovered the seat with the stripey fabric. Note: I don’t sew, I don’t craft, I don’t even staple – I used thumb tacks. Don’t judge. It worked! I also had enough fabric to make a neat little jewelry board out of a frame I picked up from a church garage sale. You might recognize it from this post. Now I won’t have to spend ten minutes unknotting my jewelry after pulling it out of a drawer. Small victories!
I grabbed a few other items from the house (a flower pot for my hairspray products, and a wicker box to house my makeup) and suddenly the forgotten corner didn’t look so scary.
Most of the miscellaneous items I listed before found new homes in the vanity drawers. I’m also hoping that since this corner no longer looks like a dump, I’ll be less inclined to treat it as one. The dirty laundry will go directly into the hamper, and the clean laundry will go to the floor of my closest (hey, I’m a realist). All in all, I’m quite pleased with my new space! I won’t be bursting out “I feel pretty” every morning, but I can at least give myself morning pep talks with some dignity. And I love my morning pep talks.
Any forgotten corners in your home you’d like to tackle?
LOVE this! Great job! I esp. love the vanity — what a great score!
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It sure was! I plan on hanging on to it for years.
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This looks fantastic Julie!
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Thanks Jelma! I also appreciate the kudos of a fellow thrifter.
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Wow! I’m so inspired by your ability to pull everything together. This looks amazing!
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Janna, not kidding: all I could think when pulling this together was “I wish I could make my laundry hamper pretty like I saw on TWSST”! – but then I realized I can’t sew 😉
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Lovin’ your blog! Now I wanna go find some thrift shop and same lots of dimes. 🙂
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Julie I love reading your blog and especially admiring your pictures! I think that frame with the necklaces is totally fab and an idea I may just have to use myself (especially since I have an empty frame waiting for some love). Also, if you need sewing let me know, I have a few skills in that regard as well as in crafting (although I’d rather not use that “c” word!)
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Ooh! Perhaps an educational trip to London is in order? “Home Ec 101 with Chelsea”
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Yes, most definately! And just fyi there’s a thrift store beside Fabricland, you know, if we end up needing some fabric 🙂
I’d love a visit so if you’re up for a London trip just let me know!
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I love it!!!
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How beautiful…
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LOVE it Julie!! Your thrifty ways have inspired my own little vanity makeover – I’m planning on posting about it next week – I think I’ve caught the thrifting bug and I have YOU to thank!!
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Excellent! I’m happy to covert another to the thrifting life. Can’t wait to see your makeover!
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Omg! I can’t believe you got all that while thrifting!!! It looks beyond great, like magazine great.
Kudos!!
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I have been scouring the thrift stores in our area for a vanity for some time now, and have yet to see one vanity even remotely as cute as this one. I think I need to venture out of our vicinity and broaden my thrifty horizons if you will lol!
The room looks great!
xo
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Its true. Whenever I’m in a neighbouring city, I’m always tempted to check out their thrift shops, you never know what’s hiding next door.
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That corner now looks awesome – I have a corner like that downstairs – dead space – no one uses it and all kinds of junk just sitting there – won’t be my powder room but you inspired me to turn it into a neat storage area instead of a junk pile – I’ll be thrifting for the next few days!
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I have only recently found this blog but you are very inspiring! What a fantastic job on your ‘little corner’. You Julie have TALENT!
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Thanks ladies! I’m happy to provide some inspiration 🙂
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I absolutely love what you’ve done to the place!
Fab Fab Fab
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what a cute space! can’t wait to get my “junk” all organized….
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wow – what an amazing transformation – can’t believe it is the same space !
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