Take a seat

I am so excited to share one of my latest piece of furniture transformations! Our family room was in desperate need of some storage to corral Maddie's toys and some extra seating. I had almost given up hope that I would find something in my shopping ventures (and we haven't quite developed our DIY chops enough to tackle a custom piece) until I saw this diamond in the rough.

The dresser looked like a castoff from a hotel. The top surface had holes where a TV or lamp had been bolted down and the front had normal wear and tear from frequent use.

But I didn't care. It was literally calling out my name when I walked into the room, begging me to take it home. The price was marked at $30, which was okay but not ideal considering the amount of work that needed to be done. But my dreams came true when I spotted the sign on the back wall that said they would negotiate on prices in the back room! Moments after finding this piece, I had haggled my way into a $15 dresser. $15! Wowza! I had to contain my excitement and refrain from buying one more dresser (BOGO right?). 

Ideally, I would have taken this piece and spray painted the living daylights out of it, but since it was a high of 40s, spray painting was out of the question. Since I didn't have the patience to wait it out until the spring, I bundled up and busted out my orbital sander in the garage. Ben has learned that when I get into a project, I.MUST.FINISH.IT. (immediately). So I bribed begged convinced Ben to help me drag the freshly prepped dresser into the family room to be painted. After a coat of primer and 2 coats of paint, she looked like this:

It was love at first sight. It was perfect. Yes, we struggled to open the drawers for a few days while I painstakingly searched every home improvement store in Rochester for the perfect cup handle. I may have gone to Home Depot and Lowes. twice. in one day. After seeing Katie Bower's dresser transformation, I knew that Martha's brushed nickel handles would complete the look.

The dresser is perfect! Not only does it hold Maddie's ever-growing collection of toys, books and our electronics, but once I get the cushion made, it will be a welcoming window seat. Once my family saw the completed project, they wanted one. Unfortunately 3 weeks later, the thrift store marked the piece up to $75! 

Here is a sneak peak at my newest thrift store purchase. At $35, this was a steal! I am so excited at the potential it has. 

Stay tuned for the transformation! 

Hot Wheels

Our most recent home renovation has been on the basement. It has been on my radar since we moved in 3 years ago, but I couldn't seem to get Ben on board with my plans. That is until I uttered the magic words "Man Cave". Yes, I will admit that I have relinquished one area of Mi Casita to Ben. But after the blood, sweat, and tears that he put into it, I believe that he deserves it. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have an area that can be a mess and I can just close the door and ignore it...for a few days. I have to say that this "Man Cave" does come with one caviat (okay, there are more than one, but I don't want to get carried away). He has to share it with Maddie (and future kiddos). In my mind, this works perfectly. Picture this: Ben (and his man friends) playing PS3...for hours...while watching Maddie and the kiddies playing in the corner. Jackpot! I just scored myself some free time!  

So in an effort to make myself some free time, I knew that the kiddie area had to appeal to my uber-crazy need to organize otherwise I would be spending my free time cleaning up. That is where the console table comes in. I purchased this table on a whim. I admit it wasn't my finest choice, but at the time I couldn't pass it up. Although, I cannot remember how much it was, I remember the pulse-racing, palm-sweating, adrenaline-surgin' feeling that I got when I laid eyes on that clearance tag. It was like the heavens opened up in the middle of Kmart, the angels started singing and a light shone on that table. Okay, it may not have happened exactly that way, but you get the idea. And so, I made the table mine. It was easy to convince Ben that this table was Per-fect for his Man Cave. See these are MAGIC WORDS, but use them wisely, they can only get you so far...

Wow, how did I get onto this tangent? Anywhoo, my plans involved making this table into a mobile bench complete with colorful bins for storage. I started by measuring the legs of the table. They were about 1-5/8" x 1-5/8". After searching some online sites, I realized my newest favorite store, Lowes, would be sure to have the wheels I needed. Thankfully my trip was successful and I left with these Hot Wheels for a mere $3.29.

I said a prayer as I tested the wheels out for size. Gloria a Dios! They fit! Well, the base was slightly larger than the leg, but I figured that I could live this it.

I decided to predrill the holes for the wheels because I knew that this would make the installation easier. Using the base as a template, I marked the screw locations by tracing the holes.

I interrupt this post for an important safety tip. Be sure to wear your safety glasses (no matter how silly you feel) and don't do projects like this in front of your infant. Yeah there is another heart racing story behind that but I will save that for another day...maybe...

See that bin of screws? It contains all of our random "extras" from projects over the years. I cannot remember purchasing screws, but they seem to keep accumulating, which works out well for projects like this one.

As simple as this project seems, it took me a few tries to get it right. I guess that is what happens when you go into a project thinking "I will just wing it". Uhm yeah, that isn't always the best way of thinking, hence a split in the first leg and only 3 screws in the base. After my trial and error first plan, I decided that the shorter screw would prevent the splitting and still do the trick.

Since I didn't intend for anyone to really sit on this, I figured that I was safe without the 4th screw holding it in place. The "shake test" is a good method, right? Let's hope so!

Fifteen minutes later..WHA-LAH! I was scootin' this bad boy all over the kitchen and doing my happy dance. I love the feeling of completing a project ALMOST as much as I love a great sale.

Now I need your help. I am debating on what I should do with the table top.  

Should I leave it, paint it or make it into a chalkboard? What is realistic? Remember little kids will be playing and coloring on this table. Do you have any other ideas for this toy storage bench?