A little entryway closet organization {part 1}

Oooh ... you know from the title of this post, with the mention of "part 1", that there will be a sequel.  I figured I would build the anticipation right away.

When I first moved into my place it was mid-Spring and the weather was lovely and warm.  I basically just threw coats, jackets, mittens, gloves and other "stuff" into the entryway closet and figured I would deal with organizing it later.  Well, now that it is Fall and I'm seeing Christmas all over, "later" is here.

You can see the closet is a nice large size.  It is also the only real storage closet that I have in the house, so it needs to be really functional.

Now for reality.  What's behind those doors? Oh ... only this.

Yikes.  The first thing I did was to make a plan.  I knew that I needed to divide the closet into three sections:  (1) the coat section; (2) the cleaning supplies section (vacuum, mops, brooms, etc.); and (3) the storage section.  I also had to address the kids' coats and figure out where they will hang them, since they cannot reach the hangers.  

I got out out my notebook and sketched the closet, along with the dimensions, and made a list of what I needed.  Here is the plan and the current status of the closet.

Coat Section

I made the right side of the closet for coats.  It is a little easier to get in and out of.  I moved the boot tray (from Christmas Tree shops last year) to the floor, which is where we will keep out winter footwear.  My coats hang here, and there are plenty of extra hangars for guests.

I also decided to take the kids' coats out of the closet and will move them to the kitchen, next to my tall wine cabinet.  It is hidden from view and they will be able to reach their jackets each morning/night.  Once I add the hooks, it will be a mini mud room just for them.

Cleaning Supplies Section

I bought a broom and mop holder at Target and hung it, and a separate hook for the dustpan and brush, on the wall.  This keeps my cleaning supplies out of the way but within reach.  I have the vacuum on this side, as well as big shopping bags, which I use for recycling.  I brought in a small shelf, and in it, I plan to get baskets for the kids' hats and gloves ... though I may ditch that idea and have them store their hats and gloves near their coats in the kitchen.  I had bought hooks at IKEA recently and hung them in this side of the closet, so I can hang my scarves.

Storage

The top shelf is the perfect spot for storage.  Right now, as you can see, I have things stacked up there.  I want to get some baskets or bins so that I can hide, and neatly store, the items from view.  I think I will keep my hats, car cleaning products/cleaning products, the DVD player for the car and other miscellaneous things up there.  I've measured the total width and depth of this shelf, so I can be sure I will get baskets of the correct size.

That is all for now!  I am excited to finish up this space before Winter hits.  Stay tuned. 

See you swoon,

Some Sweet Kitchen Touches

I have a few special finds for your kitchen to share with you today.  My style in decorating is decidedly cottage.  I love white and soft neutrals, dark wood floors and vintage touches.  One place I love to bring in little vintage, cottagey items is my kitchen.  Here is a round up of some of my favorite things.

Anthropologie Chalk Board Spice Jar

I happen to live about 10 minutes from a great Anthropologie store.  Danger!  Danger.  I try to limit my trips there, lest I go broke, but over the Summer I popped in during their big clearance sale.  I found some clothes for a steal, but also could not resist picking up this little chalk board spice jar for only $10.  I'm sure it is very easy to DIY, but I loved it and decided to treat myself.  I keep kosher salt in it and leave it right by the stove for cooking.  

courtesy of anthropologie

Wal-Mart White Utensil Holder

You can see it right above -- I found this utensil holder at Wal-Mart for about $4 tops.  I have seen similar ones at Target for closer to $20 and other higher end stores like Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma for even more.  This looks sleek, chic and sweet. And hello - $4.  

Magnetic Kitchen Timer

I found this adorable robin's egg blue magnetic kitchen timer at Anthropologie as well, but I cannot find it on their website. I think it was about $15.  I love how vintage it looks and it's super easy to use, plus out of the way.  The blue makes me smile.  I'm pretty sure there were other colors as well.  

IKEA Droppar Jar with Lid

I needed storage for my sugar and flour, and I really love to keep them on the counter.  I found these glass jars at IKEA for $10 each.  The lids have a vacuum seal, so the contents stay nice and fresh.  And because sugar and flour are white, it all works.  

courtesy of  ikea

Crate & Barrel Cookie Jar

Finally, I found this cookie jar at Crate and Barrel for $25.  I love it!  Like the IKEA jars above, this cookie jar's lid has a vacuum seal.  I just love this! And mmmmm ... cookies.  Homemade or not, I need them in my kitchen at all times.

courtesy of  Crate & Barrel

There you have it! A little round-up of some inexpensive items for a kitchen.  What about you?  What are some of your favorite kitchen things?  I'd love to hear.

See you swoon,

Note:  None of the above companies or products sponsored, paid for or otherwise comped this blog post! 

Seeing [nantucket] Red

Well happy Tuesday all! As you can see, I am trying to get back to a regular posting schedule.  How were your weekends?  I worked on my 1980s bathroom! I've got wallpaper down and walls patched in places.  There is still a lot of work to do, but it is well underway.  

I have a quick fashion post this morning.  Back in this post from the Summer, I posted a recap of different looks for Nantucket Reds - the pinkish faded red pants, shorts and skirts that are a Nantucket and Summer staple.  One really hot day this Summer, I saw a woman walking to the bus and loved her outfit.  She was wearing a Nantucket Red skirt, light chambray top and brown leather belt and wedges.  If I were not driving, I would have complimented her.  I knew I wanted to recreate that outfit, and I finally did!  Here is my version of it.  (note: it's hard to take a picture of myself)

So here are the details.  I found the skirt at Murray's Toggery Shop online.  At $65 it was a splurge, but I could not find a suitable substitute and figured I should love what I bought.  And I do!  I bought a couple of less expensive red skirts but the color was not right.  I thought about trying to distress them in the wash but then realized I was being pennywise: for the extra $30 or so, why not buy the exact thing I wanted and be thrilled.  The top is a light blue chambray shirt from Old Navy, which was only about $20.  I do not see it on the website anymore, unfortunately.  I rolled up the sleeves to make it casual and light. The belt was a total steal from the NY & Co. outlet in Limerick PA, which I found when I was shopping with my friend Heather.  Finally, the shoes are from Famous Footwear - they're cork wedges but with a bit more polish with the gold buckle and brown leather.  And they are super comfortable to boot!

What do you think?  I'm going to try to wear the skirt again before the weather gets too cold.  Hopefully I can pull it off ... if I do, I'll post here!

See you swoon,

It's time for a radical transformation

... of a 1980s bathroom variety.  I am talking about my master bathroom.  Do you want the full tour with what I'm planning to do?  Like, totally.  Here we go.

As you can see, the permanent fixtures in this space are pretty good.  The shower is great, the sink and vanity are updated, the subway tile and floor are really lovely.  But my goodness ... the wallpaper.  Honestly, it is an affront to the senses.  

It is even peeling away in that little strip in between the shower and the mirror.

Something that cracks me up every time I see it: they wallpapered the outlet cover.  I usually appreciate great attention to detail but this?  This is some devotion to wallpaper.  I am going to replace this with a basic white one.

Next up: the tub area.  It is so nice to have a separate tub and shower.  I am going to paint the room Mindful Grey (Sherwin Williams) cut by 50%.  I already have a gallon of this and am crossing my fingers that it's enough to cover the room.  I think I will add a large picture on the long wall over the tub.

Once I steam off the wallpaper, I am going to remove this oddly placed towel bar over the toilet.  It is off center (which you know drives me batty) and too low.  It's essentially useless.   I am going to replace it with a white wall cabinet for more storage.  I have seen a few of these that are pretty inexpensive at Home Depot, Lowes and Bed Bath and Beyond.  I can't wait to add more functionality. Plus, I think it will look a lot nicer.

Next up: the door.  Right now there are two plastic hooks - black and clear - on the back of the door.  I hate them and they scream 1980s.  I am going to replace them with a bar of silver hooks.  Oh, see the switch plate cover? That is metal and rusted, so I am swapping it with a white one. 

I have already made one little update: the bar light over the sink.  It is one of those "hollywood" style bar lights and I really don't like them, but since I am renting, I think I need to work with it.  I have learned that electrical can be tricky and I did not want to remove it, only to find a mess behind.  The only problem?  Just like the tin roof in "Love Shack" -- RUSTED! (admittedly, it is hard to see the rust in these pictures)

So I took out the bulbs, got a large cardboard box and placed it under the area that I was painting and used some brushed nickel spray paint to spray over the rust.  A few light coats and the light went from this ...

to this!

Yes, I got spray paint on the wallpaper, but I am going to steam it off anyway, so no one will ever be the wiser. 

So, that's the plan.  I hope to be able to tackle this entire project the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I imagine it will take a full day to steam the paper off and prepare the walls, then another day to paint and a final few hours to hang the cabinet and art and accessorize. I can't wait to get started.

My goal is to spend no more than $100 on this space.  The big expense will be the wall cabinet, but I think I can spend around $75 on that.  I already have all of the tools, paint and accessories on hand.  I may need to get a large frame for the art, but I think I can snag one at Ikea for a great price.

What about you? Have you updated a space on little cash? Please share! 

See you swoon,

My, how the tables have turned!

Happy Wednesday, all.  I hope my fellow East-coasters made it through the hurricane OK.  

I have a little before and after to share with you today: my entryway table.  Much like the bamboo number in my old home that I scored for a steal on Craigslist, I needed a tiny table for my entryway here.  The table had to squeeze in the small space behind the door but not block access to my hall closet.  I found the table, perfectly sized, at Wal-Mart at the very perfect price of about $35.  The only hitch: it was medium brown wood.  See?

Paint is the easiest fix imaginable, and everything else about it was perfect, so I went for it.  I finally got around to this project and used two coats of my favorite Zinsser oil-based primer and two coats of Sherwin Williams Pro-Classic Dover White, followed by two light coats of Polycrilic.  And ... voila!

Doesn't it look so much better?  I think it will look even better once I get rid of that awful paint color on the walls and add something a little warmer.  I changed the hardware on the table, too.  I found this cute seaglass green glass knob at Anthropologie for about $10.  I think it's really sweet.

I shopped my home and found some things for the top, which automatically made the entire area look more homey.   All that is left now is a durable rug and runner for the entryway floor.  Jamie and I are planning to hit up the Pottery Barn outlet soon, so here's hoping they have a lovely jute number with my name on it!

So, what do you think?  Have you painted any furniture lately?  Please do share!

See you swoon,