Welcome friends!

I am so thrilled and honored to be participating in the #simplysummertour along with 29 extremely talented bloggers!  Speaking of talent, if you’re here from Jen’s blog, City Farmhouse, you know exactly what I mean, her tour was breathtaking per usual! A very special thank you to our hosts’ Nina Hendrick, Birchlane and CountryLiving for the amazing opportunity! I hope you grab a nice cozy seat and enjoy the tour, we’re so glad to have you.

Today we are happy to share with you two rooms in our home that we have been busy updating.  This tour was the perfect opportunity to show off the changes in these spaces that have quickly became some of our favorite places to lounge this summer!  Gorgeous Little Houses pillow by Aedriel, you can find it here!

First off, our brand new sunroom/family room.  About 9 months ago we had the unfortunate event happen, where a large city tree fell onto our newly renovated home.  When all was said and done, this situation quickly became a big blessing in disguise!  It gave us the opportunity to create one room in our home from scratch. Given that our home was built in 1921, we kept most all of its old world character aside from the kitchen and stairs, therefore, that meant most of the updates were purely cosmetic.  So I can’t tell you how happy I was to create this room for our family and now that it is complete I am even more in love with it than I had imagined I would be!

We recently picked out this gorgeous, channeled blown fiber cushions that emulate a relaxed feather and down seat for the ultimate plush sectional from Jonathan Louis Furniture, and we could not be happier with it! (more on this later!) We loved the clean lines and chic look so the search for the perfect side table was on! Needless to say, I knew exactly what I would be searching for with my Birchlane gift card, and when I spotted this beauty I knew it was the one!

Some features I like best about the Harlan side table are the clean lines and modern style. It is classy and elegant but also simple and sleek which was very important to me since our coffee table is a huge statement piece in the room. I am so pleased with the way the two tables work together and compliment one another instead of competing for attention.

I also love that the side table is tall enough to store items under!  And well since this is a summer home tour I figured what better to showcase under our glass table top than some summer blooms!

Speaking of blooms, I chose these ones especially to match our lovely new pillows from Jolie Marche!! Aren’t they simply breathtaking??!  I can’t get enough, I adore her prints so much I want them in every single room!  Not to mention, they are such great quality.  Bringing fresh, fun patterns into the space really lightened it up and gave it an overall sense of summer that makes me so happy!

Our Anthropologie drum shaped – coffee table is complete with unique metal accents that add unexpected charm to the room.  It is one of my all time favorite pieces! You can also find the braided, wool rug here.

Recently my mother gave me this planters hutch from my childhood home.  It means so much to me that I now have a piece of my home then in my home now.  This hutch is gorgeous and although it isn’t your traditional tv console I think its perfect! Now all we need is a new television! 😉

Across the room we have a farmhouse table we recently refinished that we use for casual, everyday dining.  I love that we now have a space to gather to eat, play games or have a girls’ night with friends that is separate from the rest of our home.  All we have to do is pull the barn door closed and whala an instant sound barrier for sleeping babies!  It’s the little things. 🙂

Beautiful barn door is from White Shanty Designs.  Handmade and handcrafted in the USA with such great craftsmanship!

Next on our summer tour is the playroom!

We have several fun new items in here that complete the room, one of them being this beautiful handmade hammock from HammockChair.eu.  It is the perfect lounging spot for our three and five year old daughters and it is so spacious that they both climb up and swing together!  It is also the best nook for mom and dad to read stories to the littles!  We can’t say enough good things about it!

Enchanted Forest Mural is from Anthropologie, Wander banner is from HoorayEveryday!

During the playroom makeover one of my goals was to find toy organizers that were not only easy on the eyes but also functional!  I cannot tell you how many ways I have tried to keep this space tidy with bins and chests that simply didn’t work.  These toy organizers from Ikea have been a major game changer!  The top bins are used for craft supplies, paints and markers, you know the things we try to keep out of little hands reach without adult supervision! And the bottom bins are those that the girls’ can easily pick up their toys after play and toss them back where they belong.  (Now if I could only get them to do that we would be set! haha!)

The darling Farytale pictures are from Dear Lillie and we adore them! The storyline is written by Jamie at Bluestonehill and illustrated by Lucy at Craftberry Bush.  What a talented bunch of ladies’ right there!  I looked and looked for art work for this room that complimented the mural and came up short every time!  That is until I saw these sweet prints and instantly fell in love with not only their look but their whimsical message!

To give these Ikea organizers a bit of flair we used furniture legs made especially for Ikea pieces from Prettypegs.  They were so easy to install, such great quailty and they look terrific!

We loved having you this morning and we hope you enjoyed visiting just as much!  Now I am off to grab some coffee and join some little girls in the hammock swing! Wishing you a blessed day! xoxo

And don’t forget to visit Amy at The Blissful Bee next, you know it will be worth it!  So much eye candy yet to come! 

Monday

Nina Hendrick | Maison de Pax | Cherished Bliss | AKA Design | A Burst of Beautiful | Liz Marie Blog

Tuesday

Migonis Home | So Much Better With Age | Zevy Joy | Just a Girl and Her Blog | Shades of Blue Interiors | Making Home Base

Wednesday

Rooms FOR Rent | The Wicker House | Bless’er House | Love Grows Wild | Finding Silver Pennies | Design, Dining + Diapers

Thursday

Craftberry Bush | Jennifer Rizzo | The Wood Grain Cottage | Ella Claire | Tidbits | City Farmhouse

Friday

Kindred Vintage & Co | The Blissful Bee | The Happy Housie | House By Hoff | Nesting With Grace | Life on Virginia Street

Hi there guys!

If you’re visiting from DearLillie then you know that this patio tour is full of amazing ladies’ work!  DearLillie is my very first blog-crush.  I’ve been following her for years now and she was actually my inspiration to start Instagram and this blog.  I am so honored to be invited to join a tour with her, as well as all these other incredible ladies, including our incredibly talented host Kristen from Ella Claire Blog.  If you’re visiting me from her blog and you know exactly what I mean.  I have to admit that I am a bit intimidated to be wrapping up this tour but I hope though that you’ve enjoyed this journey just as much as I have!  I’m so glad you’re here.

As I type this I am so happy and so honored to be participating in this incredible tour! A bit of a back-flash for ya, when I was offered this opportunity I was shopping in Whole Foods and as I checked the message, I held in my excitement for .2 seconds and then began to jump around the produce isle for a good minute. THRILLED is an understatement! Of course I jumped (literally) at the chance to participate in anything that included one of my all time favorite shops, Joss and Main, (insert a huge happy dance) and then on top of it, I learned it would be featured by Country Living?! Hold the phone, I may have slightly fainted right about then. However, above and beyond … I was so very humbled and honored by my peers to have been thought of by those I look up to and adore. This may sound silly, but yep, that was me in that moment, completely glad. Every single one of these ladies rock and I am honored I get to participate in a tour with them. Now enough of my blabbing and onto what you came here for, the tour! 

Now no reveal is complete without a nasty before right??! So, in that case, promise you won’t judge me when you see it? Haha!! We moved into our home less than two years ago and although I have yet to reveal the ‘before’ shots of our home, just one look at these outdoor shots and you’ll get a smidgen of what our home looked like when we bought it! ? Yup, it was bad.

I took our old cracked concrete and made it beautiful in the most budget friendly manner possible.  The solution we ended up using was painting it!  Since we wanted to bring my personality for vintage decorating outdoors I teamed up with Royal Stencils.  Don’t worry, I’ll be providing more details about this amazing collaboration later on, so be sure to check back!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Again; BEFORE:

AFTER:

And one up close!

When the opportunity arose for this tour, I knew we had to not only transform our old broken up red, concrete patio but the area I wanted to also use and take advantage of was the empty space between the back of our garage and our neighbors. Our home was built in 1920 so the fact that our garage was built with 15 of clearance feet behind itself and our neighbors property line is a bit confusing, but acceptable. We are in the Chicagoland area so everything counts! 😉 

Our garage is an old brick beauty with two barn doors and a ton of charm, so it was actually one of the selling points for our home!! But even better, behind it stands another beauty just like it, a sister structure. The space between was covered in debris and sticks so naturally when we moved in we used it for storage and two months ago it was time for a change. We cleared the area, tilled the land and then laid down limestone to make the space usable for gatherings. From there we picked these gorgeous seating areas from Joss and Main and I couldn’t be more pleased with them!

These Ikea patio dividers were a lifesaver.  My wonderful husband rigged them to the height we needed and I love how they makes the very space private without being gaudy.  🙂

Another thing I did was bring out our vintage!  We had this bakers table that I bought for our kitchen but unfortunately didn’t end up working.  The metal drop drawers instantly gave me the idea of a cooler for fun beverages and so we ran with it! I love the way it looks for summertime fiestas, and it’s so practical!! A win, win for us!

I knew from the start that I wanted to make a special place for our girls to play.  They love the outdoors and if I was creating an environment that I wanted to enjoy, I wanted one for them to enjoy as well.  Our whole family adores the way this little area turned out and the charm this Joss and Main playhouse adds to the space.  We put the playhouse up on a platform so that the door opens without dragging the mulch around and to give a sturdy surface for them to play on.  Lastly, I really like how the two areas are separated by a stone path or as my girls describe it “a safe path over lava”.  This gives the girls a place to imagine and create where we can oversee them from our patio getaway.

When I was little I would lay out in the grass on a sunny day, close my eyes, listen to the nature around me and pretend that I was in my very own secret garden. I pictured how beautiful and serene it would be in my daydream and as I became an adult I longed to have my very own escape. Being a part of this tour with Joss and Main has allowed me to create my very own secret garden. The way their comfortable seating and pretty accents have allowed us to create a serene space for our family to enjoy and escape the every day bustle of life is priceless. Thank you Joss and Main for giving us a reason to enjoy the outdoors with our children, just like I did as a little girl.

Also, I really wanted this Joss and Main experience to be enjoyed by everyone in my family.  So I made sure that a grill was included.  After all, my husband put so much work in to this makeover he deserved a big juicy steak as a reward. :)

Here’s where to find all the Joss and Main products to recreate this space:

Sectional

Love Seat + Chairs

Lights

Grill

Playset

While shopping for complimentary accents for the space I was at HomeGoods and discovered a sign that screamed summer to me.  The ‘No Wake Zone’ saying immediately brought me back to carefree summers on our Florida beach vacations.  As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to incorporate it into our outdoor space.  At the time though, I didn’t know just how much of a statement piece it would be.

On that note, I think someone needs to remind this Chicago girl that the “No
Wake Zone” refers to boat-created waves and not a literal invitation to go to sleep.  🙂

And here are links to all of the super talented women who made this tour possible. Make sure to check out their reveals, they’re nothing short of incredible!

Ella Claire Blog

French Country Cottage

Love Grows Wild

Rooms FOR Rent

My Sweet Savannah

Craftberry Bush

City Farmhouse

Jenna Sue Design

Dear Lillie

Hello Friends!!

Happy Wednesday!

Today, I want to share with you our new-to-us, 7ft, pine farmhouse table! After months of searching for the right table for our new room, and several different table and couch tries that unfortunately were just not right for the space, I finally found this gem after scouring Craigslist for months! As soon as I saw it I just new it was the one for us!

It is a true antique, purchased by the previous owner from the Merchandise Mart, and if you are familiar with this venue at all, lets just say, they sell the best of the best and it doesn’t come at a cheap price! It was brought there from an old farmhouse, loved for many years and now its ours to love and I’m thrilled! I am so lucky to have found it for a fraction of the price on Craigslist, don’t you just love being thrifty?!

When I came across the photos online I loved most all of it BUT the yellow tone of the pine wood. I knew right away that is the one thing I would change once I got it home.  I wanted it lighter but I didn’t want to paint it so that is when I turned to the professionals, and Laura from The Ironstone Nest is a genius when it comes to making over furniture!

I met Laura a few years ago at one of the first vintage markets I had a booth at. Laura was instantly warm and inviting and as she showcased her techniques using Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint her talent was just as amazing as her personality! I knew she would have the perfect suggestion for what product to use on the table and just as expected, she did! She walked me through what products would be best, and was there to answer any questions I had. We ended up deciding on THIS white wax and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
After using a hand sander to sand down the table, I added some white wax ta a soft cloth and rubbed it onto the raw wood. After letting it dry for about 5 minutes I buffed it with a clean cloth and then cleaned brushed it with some warm soap and water! It was so easy and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the finished results!

I forgot to snap a picture of applying the white wax but it really was as simple as it sounds! Here is the end result, after wiping off the wax, when I clean brushed the table with soap and water…

And for comparisons sake, here is a drawer from the table, AFTER I sanded it but BEFORE I applied the white wax…pretty amazing, right?

I am so happy with how it turned out and I am so incredibly grateful to Laura for all her advice and direction! If you’re looking to refinish anything, trust me she’s your gal! You can find her contact information HERE!

Here is our table now! I am so happy with it!

Thanks for reading along, let me know if you have any questions! xoxo

Hello Friends!

As some of you may know, before we started this WordPress blog we had a Blogspot one where we shared a couple of posts before switching over.  As promised, we are excited to share with you our Ikea Norden sideboard makeover!  The post below is copied over from our old blog, so pictures are dated back to about a year ago and since then Ikea has unfortunately discontinued this particular item.  However, they do have a new style that comes in an extendable table and a few other products in their Norden series but even if you decide to not go with anything from this series, Ikea has many products made out of solid birch, sealed with clear acrylic lacquer like this one so you can use these steps for any of them!

I hope you have success remaking some pieces using these simple steps! If you do, tag us on Instagram @kindredvintage, we would love to see them!

Our home and our sideboard as it is today:

(wings are a part of our Kindred Vintage + Painted Fox collection! You can purchase them HERE!)

Now here is a look back at our Ikea sideboard makeover, and our home a year ago:

I am in love with our IKEA Norden sideboard makeover! I am so pleased with the way it turned out and how it went from any ordinary to a piece of Ikea furniture to one with loads of character and charm. 

Today I am going to share with you my latest DIY project that transformed our Ikea sideboard from ordinary to rustic chic and I love the way it turned out.

BEFORE:

The process was fun and easy and can be done on any raw wood surface. If you are looking to recreate something similar just follow these simple steps and have fun!

Supplies you will need:
1. Hand sander
2. Miniwax wood stain in dark walnut finish
4. Varthane weathered gray stain
5. Cotton rag to apply stain
6. Paper towels
7. Clear wood wax
8. Metal L brackets
9. Screw driver
LET’S GET STARTED:
Step 1-
Sand down wood to get off any old stain or finish in order to make the surface smooth.

Step 2-
Apply dark walnut stain with your cotton rag making sure to coat the entire surface. Wipe off excess with paper towels. Wait two to three minutes for stain to settle in. Then wipe down sideboard with a rag to take off any access stain.

Step 3-
Apply weathered gray stain with your rag, on top of the dark walnut stain you just applied. As little or as much as you would like, depending on how weathered of a look you are going for. When you have achieved your preferred look, let the stain dry for a few hours before waxing.

Step 4-
Once the stain has completely dried apply a liberal amount of clear wax to the sideboard.

Step 5-
Screw on L brackets to the corners of the table top to add some decorative flair.

Step 6-
ENJOY!!

AFTER:

We would love to know what you think of the makeover and answer any questions you may have for us in the comments section below! Thanks for stopping by! Oh, and while you’re here, if you like what you see, make sure to enter your email into the “Subscribe” box on the sidebar so you can get notified when we post! 😉

Have a beautiful day!

xo

We don’t live in Seattle but from the looks of our weather these past couple days you would think we did. As I was photographing our oldest daughter’s room for this mini makeover reveal, all inspired by her new cast iron bed frame, the sky was heavy with light clouds, sprinkles of rain, fog and overall early Spring mist. I actually love that weather, for some reason it triggers memories in my mind of Easter as a child. So to celebrate the changing season, I opened the windows to let the thick smell of damp Spring air fill the room. Although the photos are not as bright as I would prefer, the memories of this day are happy ones and that sets the mood for success in my book!!

Okay so enough of my blabbing about the weather. 😉 What you really would like to hear about is this room, am I right?! So here we go, although I only made a few changes in here I feel as though they have a huge impact on the room and I am so pleased with the way it turned out.

Inspiration sprung for the change while looking at pictures of this room from our holiday house walk that were taken this past December. Although I loved the space, in my opinion there was something that just wasn’t working and that was the bed. The wooden frame we had in here is part of a set that we purchased prior to owning our home. I envisioned both girls sharing a room, with these two matching beds, a look that I adore. However, after moving in, each of our daughters ended up getting rooms of their own, so therefore we only used one of the matching beds and stored the other. Although the beds are great, when paired with the wallpapered accent wall the area just felt a little crowded to me. So the search for a new bed frame was on and I was excited!

I knew I wanted a bed frame that was a little less “heavy” for the space. One that complimented the wall behind it, instead of competing for its attention. I was really drawn to this one from The Land of Nod, because it had the simple look I was craving but couldn’t bring myself to pay close to $400 for it.

Here’s a closer look at the thrifted bed I found.  As soon as I laid eyes on it, it was love at first sight!

The cool thing about the app is that it provides you with a tighter, more intimate search simply by plugging in your town and the distance you would like to travel. Unlike some of the other buying and selling sites that give you a wide travel range based on a much larger metro area. Also, I love the ability to chat directly to the seller through the app itself rather than having to coordinate my already too full inbox.

As many of you know I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE thrifting. Finding that perfectly imperfect piece to fix up and use for myself or resell. And half of the thrill for me is the search! I find close to half of my stuff online, and nothing is worse than finding out that that perfect piece is hours away based on the broad search location!

I am loving the way the room looks with the new to us vintage bed! I also am pretty smitten over these beautiful flowers I moved into this room from the playroom downstairs! They are hand made by such a sweet shop named Fanciful Designs, and I will be sure to share more on them later!

So in love with the tiny details of the space. They truly reflect my daughter’s personality and I love that she loves her little getaway.  More on this gorgeous book later!

Thank you all for stopping by today. I would love to hear what you think of the changes to the room?! Also, let me know if you find a perfectly imperfect vintage gem of your own!

Have a beautiful Day,

xo Susan

____________

Sources:

Bedding:

Beddy’s

Paper Flowers:

Fanciful Designs

Gold jewelry tray:

Painted Fox

Bloom With Mi Children’s book:

Amy Kavelaris

Owl Pillow:

Live Sweet Shop

I AM HIS sign:

House Of Belonging

Shag Rug & Cloud Pillow:

Ikea

Rose Petals Wallpaper:

Anthropolgie 

Pom Pom mobile:

Dazzle Delight Parties

Last week was a bit crazy for us. Between the whirlwind of scary emotions that went along with my Father being in the hospital, which I am so happy and blessed to report he is doing much better, thank you for your prayers, there was a moment of bright light that warmed my heart and brought some joy into my world.

That moment was when I received a notification from a talented blogger whom I greatly admire, Jen over at City Farmhouse. It took my breath away when I read that she had featured our home over at Better Homes & Gardens as part of her BHG Style Spotter, Favorite Holiday Ideas!

You can read the entire article here! She included so many gorgeous, inspirational homes decked out for Christmas and such great ideas for putting the merry into your own home this season! Definitely worth checking out for yourself!

Thank you for stopping by today! Merry Christmas, friends!

xo

Susan

Photos taken by the lovely T&SHughes Photography