When You Build Your First Home Together, You D.I.Y. a L.O.T!

Once our design plan was set, we wanted to change practically everything about the old space, so we got creative. Take a look at all of the DIY projects we completed in just the Living Room alone to get rid of all the girly cooties from before! ;) I can blog about each of them separately after the reveal to give away some more insider tips!

First project- Get RID of the glass shelves! I could not wait, and this project was on my mind since I had first moved in 3 years ago. Instead of a display case, I wanted it to be more of an open pantry with black inside walls and rustic wood shelves. It turned out great!

Next was painting! We spent a weekend with lots of trips to Home Depot, lots blue tape, and lots of beer. It was actually really fun, and we started to feel like we were really moving in together as we were building our own new home together!! (The picture I snapped of Pats in his undies, painting on the tiny stool is one of my all-time favorites of him btw.) ;)

The dining table was The. Hardest. DIY job I've ever done... without my Dad's help at least! The table was a Craigslist find. Such a cool Midcentury shape, but it was painted white. And I had to peel/sand/chemically remove alllllll that white paint off. Yes.

We had a great big white wall, and a great big white canvas (it was a bad painting I had bought from a salvage store and primer-ed over it in white) When coming up with the best idea for our art, we thought white and black. I was going to paint it, so we could choose anything we wanted. We decided to make it meaningful by doing an abstract map of our neighborhood with our first little place together right in the middle. Patrick is also a very big geek and fan of open street mapping - it only seemed natural. ;)

We also had 6x6 series from Rochester Contemporary Art Center where I worked after college. Last summer I brought him home and we bought 2 pieces of art! We had four 6" frames and two pieces of 6" art, so the bottom 2 frames are filled with a kit to build a 3-D rocket that Patrick had lying around, and an older painting of mine that I had held onto.

The other projects were pretty simple. Remember that pale lavender coffee table from the last design? I just spray painted it a glossy black and replaced the handle... And remember the old white TV console? Now it is matte black and more useful as a bench and storage area!

The project phase is overwhelming and exciting, intimidating and also the best part of the process. It's where you really get to use your creative juices! Just be prepared for your house to look like this for most of it:

So if you can stand that for a month or two, DIY is for you! If you and your partner don't kill each other first that is. ;) Find us back here Friday to see the project phase of the Master Bedroom next on the #TTPATShomemakeover!!

Love,
Teri