It's Been A While..

Well it has certainly been a while since my last post. I guess I can chalk it up to the fact that 2010 has been a complete 180 from last year. I would definitely attribute blogging and Design St. to serving as somewhat of an outlet for me in 2009. This year, however, it has been a distant friend, though not one that I've forgotten.

Let's see, where did we leave off? Well, remember last Fall when I promised pictures of my updated Carrie Bradshaw electric blue living room?....

BAMM! There you go..

Though rest assured, the big 'ol TV has been replaced with a much sleeker flat screen. Not too shabby, eh? Mike finally has some piece of mind knowing that I'm not going to request his painting assistance again for a while! Third time's a charm I guess!

Actually, this picture is a bit outdated. The ottoman in the picture above has since been reupholstered and, surprisingly, used to be a coffee table. Not just any coffee table - an abandoned old wooden piece sitting on the sidewalk. Luckily when we found it, it was close to our apartment and we were able to carry it home no problem. Did you know that it's extremely easy to upgrade your crappy coffee table into a chic ottoman? Don't believe me? See below for a DIY ottoman!

STEP 1: Find an old coffee table on the sidewalk!

STEP 2: Place a large piece of foam on top of the table (available at your local craft store for about $10)

STEP 3: Cover foam with quilt insert (also available at your local craft store ~$5)

STEP 4: Place desired fabric over table and staple gun to the underside

STEP 5: Add tufting buttons and your favorite upholstery studs

Tufting is easy! Just measure equal squares, staple gun the fabric, and cover tufting buttons with the same fabric.

When you DIY with ottomans, you can ALWAYS reupholster! In my case, this came in handy when my dupioni silk couldn't withstand a few months of spaghetti and meatball dinners and our dirty feet :)

One thing I am learning as my passion for interior design grows, is that sustainability is probably one of, if not THE most important thing to think about when designing your space. Therefore, I chose to reupholster my ottoman in a thicker and more durable fabric with a fun design:

Now that's more my style! The best part is, styles are always changing, so if I focus on DIY projects, my living space will always be so me! Until next time..