Wednesday, February 23

Yup, I built a wall.

So...it's been awhile. I apologize for that, and now it's time for me to roll out the excuses. I've been CRAZY busy! And I'll admit, I've only done ONE creative project since my last post, which I'll show you today. It's not the custom sign that I promised you, it's much, MUCH bigger than that! My boyfriend and I, with the help of some friends, built a dividing wall equipped with a door!! I still can't believe we did it... but it looks amazing. We wanted to have it completed before last weekend because family was coming to visit, so the past few weeks have been pretty occupied with it. There was a issue with the door, a drywall debacle, and mismatched paint, but it all was very serendipitous and worked out! So here are some pictures:
Our apartment in the background is was TRASHED throughout this entire process!
But it was worth it.



This was when the drywall was done without the mud. The mudding was the WORST part! I highly recommend using a professional if you are inexperienced in drywall. We used Rich & Sons Drywall and he came out last minute on VALENTINE'S DAY to fix all of our mistakes and showed us how to do it properly. Rich is an amazing man and I recommend him to anyone looking for drywall in the Lansing area. 

THE FINISHED PRODUCT!! Woohoo!!


I am so happy with how this turned out. The best part was, of course, the decorating! I raided the clearance sections & sales at Hobby Lobby for the wall decor and vase (which I love!), and the shelving is my favorite new feature. The corner is kind of an awkward space, and there's not much room between the wall and our wine rack/entertainment center, so I didn't want something bulky. Or expensive. Plus, I wanted shelving that faced out from both faces of the wall. Since it's doubtful that I would be able to find something so unique within the price range I was looking for (CHEAP), it was time to get resourceful.

My friend had recently purchased one of the cube shelving units and I instantly liked it. So cute, decorative, and functional. Unfortunately, my space was too small for it. I went to the section in Target where the cube storage was, and found these small shelving units. They were the exact finish I wanted (Espresso) and perfect dimensions so they wouldn't stick out too far in either direction (about 11.5"x12.5"). I saw how I could fit the pieces together in my head, brought them home, set 'em up, and voila! The exact shelving unit I wanted! Two of them are stacked and facing toward the TV, and on is set against the side of the stacked ones, facing out toward the living room.

The price was decent, each small unit was $15 at Target. I saw them at Meijer for $12, just none in the correct finish. So for $45, I had my new piece! There are so many ways to combine these shelves, and different shapes are available so you can create your custom unit. I purchased the ClosetMaid brand and am really happy with them. A few years ago I combined one of these shelves with a hutch on top of my desk and they are still structurally sound! Not bad for the price.

Well, now that the wall is out of my schedule, I'm hoping to get back on track with more projects and blog posts. I hope you all have been having a wonderful February and are staying warm!