Tag: Ikea

DIY Chalkboard Wall

It’s almost been a year since Andrew and I moved into our beautiful home and we have recently been adding some final touches to make it exactly what we want! After spending lots of time on Pinterest and home decor blogs, we decided that we wanted to create a chalkboard wall on one of the kitchen walls to give the room a little character. Andrew researched several ways to design the wall and in the end, found a really cool idea involving a full length mirror, magnetic paint, and chalkboard paint. The whole process was super easy! We had a white full length mirror in our bedroom from Ikea that we decided to use (and later bought a really beautiful rose gold ornate mirror from Homesense to replace ours – win win)! We used painter’s tape to protect the trim and when ready, primed the mirror with 3 coats of magnetic paint. Once the paint was dry, we then layered on two coats of the chalkboard paint. Of course we allowed the recommended amount of drying time in between each coat of magnetic and chalkboard paint. After the paint had completely dried, Andrew hung the mirror – now chalkboard wall on the kitchen wall and we couldn’t be happier with the results! It’s such a cool and easy way to add something unique and creative in your home without spending a ton of money. I have definitely been having so much fun putting my ‘artistic talent’ to use! I’d love to hear about any fun DIY projects you have completed around your homes. Comment below if you’d like to share!

Photo 2014-11-06, 10 25 35 PMPhoto 2014-11-06, 10 24 51 PMPhoto 2014-11-06, 10 25 17 PMTam-Signature-#1

DIY Bench and Cushion

Hi everybody! Sorry for my lack of posts lately. Nico is teething (even though there are no teeth yet) so the past week and a half has been a little tough, leaving me with no time to add to my blog. Anyways, I’m back now and wanted to show you a little DIY project that I finished a few days ago. I’m not a super crafty person, however I’ve been getting more and more into do-it-yourself projects, and I am so proud and impressed with how my DIY bench and cushion turned out! Andrew and I had this old little brown bench that we bought from Ikea quite a few years ago, and were planning to give away of it because it didn’t match with any of our home decor. We eventually changed our minds and decided to freshen it up with some white spray paint and a custom cushion. Andrew did all of the spray painting (and did an amazing job at that) and I was in charge of making the cushion to sit on top of the bench. I couldn’t believe how easy it was and loved the final result! All I needed to make the cushion was a piece of plywood measured and cut to fit the bench from Home Depot, the fabric of my choice and foam from Fabricland (I was surprised at how expensive the foam was), and a staple gun. I followed this tutorial and I was literally finished within 5 minutes! The last thing that we did was added screws from underneath the bench into the plywood to make sure that the cushion would stay in place. This project was so easy and the bench looks so beautiful! It definitely makes me so excited to get crafty and try new DIY ideas!

This bench used to be brown and dingy looking, and now it looks amazing!
This bench used to be brown and dingy looking, and now it looks so beautiful! It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do!
Photo 2014-10-03, 2 46 37 PM
I chose this pretty damasque fabric and I am so in love with it! Black and white is just so elegant and classic!

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A Mama Must Have: The Pyttig Support Pillow and Cover

When it came time to purchase a highchair for our little man, Andrew and I didn’t want to go overboard and spend a ridiculous amount of money, so after some research, we decided to go with the Blames Highchair from Ikea. This highchair is very simple, affordable, space efficient, easy to clean, and sleek looking, and it had some really great reviews. Furthermore, as a bonus for me, it matches my kitchen and dining rom which is a detail that I loved! In addition to purchasing the Blames highchair, we also bought the Pyttig Support Pillow and Cover to insert into the highchair to provide support and comfort for Nico while he is sitting in his chair. The inside piece is inflatable so all you have to do is blow it up with air to the desired firmness, insert the piece into the fabric cover, zip it up, and it’s ready to use! I absolutely love this product! Nico is so comfortable when sitting in his high chair and the pillow provides him with extra stability. I also love this pillow because it protects his head if he were to hit it on the back of his chair. I especially find this product to be useful when we go out to eat. Most restaurant highchairs are super simple with no type of cushion, so Andrew and I always make sure to bring Nico’s pillow when we dine out (we keep an extra pillow in the car so that we always have one with us). It just makes things so much easier and it’s so nice to know that Nico is comfortable sitting in a chair that is not his. I really love how something so simple can be so convenient and useful!

Blames Highchair with the Pyttig Support Pillow and Cover
Blames Highchair with the Pyttig Support Pillow and Cover
2014-09-17 14.56.53
Close up look
One side is navy striped...
One side is navy striped…
The other side is red striped
The other side is red striped

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