"Built-In" Benches

Guys I'm behind.  This happens to me every year: as I round the corner on Thanksgiving and enter into the Christmas season, I am caught off-guard by the extra stack of things to do in my personal life: Christmas decorating, holiday parties, gift shopping, cookie baking... (jk on that last one - I don't bake), so... cookie eating, you get the idea.

It's T-minus 20something days to 2017 and I still have two items left on my 2016 furniture flip bucket list (including the delinquent DIY bakers rack from 2015 *hides face in  shame*). At this rate I might as well walk naked all the way to the Red Keep with a bell ringing nun behind me (that's the standard punishment for not meeting your New Years resolutions right??).  I even have a line up of flips in the shop that I have yet to share with you here!  

Well, I might as well work on my penance now and share one with ya now ;)  A while back I ran across this pic on craigslist for a "stackable dresser."  Intrigued I clicked to read more to find out that they were solid pieces with two drawers each.  

It was clever of them to use both as a makeshift dresser but they looked a little odd when stacked to me.  I decided to buy them with the plan to un-stack them and figure out a better way to use them...

Storage benches!!!  

When I got my hands on these twin pieces, I realized just how SOLID they are.  They could totally handle the everyday demands of a mudroom or entryway: book-dropping, boot-pulling, galosh-flinging.  So I painted it in our favorite glossy white by  Glidden Door and Trim to give it a matching indestructible finish.

I replaced the old handles with shiny new brass ones and moved the pulls up you wouldn't have to bend down as far to pull the drawers open.

Putting them side-by-side makes for a super long mudroom bench - perfect if you have the space but not the budget for a built-in.  I could also easily see these underneath a window as a window-seat plus toy storage.

Wherever you decide to use it, the drawers are deep and can hide a multitude of clutter (my kind of storage piece ;)

Hoping to really sell the mudroom bench idea, I styled this shoot like a typical "command center" for the on-the-go mom complete with a calendar, fresh flowers, coat hooks, and a basket for dumping.

"Faux Built-in" Mudroom Benches
48"L x 19"D x 18.5"H each
Now Available for Sale
$500 for both or $265 each

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please contact cate@stylemutthome.com.  My hope is that these handy fellas will help ease someone's organizational needs out there - especially during this busy busy season.  And that reminds me, despite how hectic the holidays can get, don't forget to spend your time thoughtfully and wisely!   And on that note, I leave you with the lyrics from a favorite underground Christmas song:

“No gifts to give, they’re all right here
Inside our hearts, the glorious cheer
And in the house we see a light
That comes from what we know inside

I’ll come to you, I’ll sing to you
Like it’s Christmas in the room
I’ll dance with you, I’ll laugh with you
’Til it’s Christmas in the room”

— Christmas In the Room, Sufjan Stevens

Reader Design: Lisa's Eclectic UK Pad

We're going trans-Atlantic today with a reader design tour in the United Kingdom. Lisa and her family moved to their Georgian style home in York three years ago; but while this home is the perfect period place, Lisa has an amazing eclectic aesthetic that makes it entirely her own! 

Lisa first started sharing her home via Instagram several years ago, and needless to say, mutts of all kinds were immediately drawn in! 

From Lisa: 

“I am totally addicted to thrift, vintage and recycling and love mixing old and new together. The juxtaposition of the two makes me really happy. I adore midcentury furnishings and styles and this is reflected in many of my rooms. I would describe my style as eclectic vintage with a bit of London cool.”

What I love about Lisa's home is that it is just. so. her! Now of course I only know Lisa through the magic of the interwebs, but I can feel and understand her when I look at this space. Do you all feel it? Can you all see what's important to her? The spirit of individuality, the authenticity of self? It may be "just design," but that's not to be overlooked! 

“I feel that the only person who should dictate a trend in your own home is yourself. My home is filled with things that I love - if I don’t love it, I don’t have it. So my style reflects my ideas and personality. I don’t bring things into my home based on whether they will ‘match’ or blend and I like to clash and mix textures. It’s taken years for me to realize that you should just go with what you like, whether it’s ‘on trend’ or not. ”

“Via my Styling Workshops, I encourage other interior obsessives to go with their gut instinct when choosing decor and furnishings. If you like it, have it. We’ve moved on from the ‘matchy matchy’ colour themed interior design standard viewpoint and especially in our post Brexit economy, people are more inclined to recycle and buy vintage than they ever have been before.”

Lisa practices what she preaches - listening to what you want, reusing found or vintage materials when you can (hey, it's financially responsible and it looks pretty cool too!), and making your home into something you really, truly love. Her best illustration of all of this is her kitchen, which she renovated on a simple couple hundred dollar budget. 

“I revamped my kitchen myself on a super small budget. My favourite piece in here is the steel neon above the cooker. It’s a Pink Floyd track called Shine On You Crazy Diamond and it was made by an amazing local artisan called Light Up North. My dad died unexpectedly eight years ago and he was a guitar player in a band, this was his favourite song so I feel that even though he never got to see our home that there is always part of him here.”

Now, I'll leave you with the one statement Lisa aspires to be - and which I think she's totally nailed. 

“Rock chick cool art mixed with vintage pieces and midcentury thrifted finds is my idea of perfection.”

Follow Lisa along on Instagram @_lisa_dawson_ or via her blog. 

Handsome Holiday Flip

Hey, sweet friends! Welcome! I've missed connecting with you all here, but you know...life! I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that you're enjoying this time of year at a pace that feels right. I know that's different for us all but as I'm getting a wee bit older every year I'm learning that what I choose to take on doesn't have to be the status quo. This season with all of our children in school for the first time still feels fresh and new and I've found that the adrenaline I used to have to get things done in a pinch while juggling our brood of multiples has leveled out a bit. Still, I wrestle with that desire for busy-ness and the Lord has been teaching me quite a bit about Himself in the constant ebb and flow.

One of my joys that's carried over into this new season of life continues to involve thrifting and flipping furniture finds! Today I've got a handsome flip I finished recently - an unexpected score from an unexpected thrift stop. Those finds are my favorite. I never seem to find what I'm looking for, but I always find what I'm not looking for. (I got your line, song writers).

He's a dapper tallboy, isn't he! He started off an orange-y stain which really wasn't doing his brass pulls justice. And we just can't resist good brass around here! I wanted to create a bit of contrast against the brass with a crisp white coat of paint, but left his base wood. White + wood + brass has been my favorite refinishing combo these past few years; it's a timeless classic especially if you want to maintain the integrity of an older piece.

He was also a bit petite when I found him since he didn't have any legs to stand on. Thanks to a set of tapered legs my dear Cate had on hand and graciously gave me for this project, he has a bit more presence now. Tell miss Cate 'thank you', my handsome boy!

I'm really enjoying seeing the versatility of tallboys lately! In a smaller home or apartment these work beautifully as a bar, buffet and storage piece in a dining room. They don't take up a large footprint so they're fun to move around and play with here and there. :)

Two-Tone and Brass Tallboy
48.75"H x 32"W x 19"D
$395
Contact chelsea@stylemutthome.com if interested in this piece or a custom order like it!

Thank you all for stopping by! I'll be back next week with a holiday home tour to share with you!