Breakfast Nook Refresh

 

It’s amazing how a few little tweaks can change the feel of a space in a big way. 

 Our breakfast nook is the place in our home where the kids do all their homework, where all the arts and crafts happen (zoom in real close on the old kitchen table and you'll see it's covered in paint and permanent marker stains), and as the name suggests, where we all eat breakfast as we're getting ready for the day. 

While there was certainly nothing wrong with this space, it was definately lacking style.  It also had a bit of a farmhouse feel which I've been trying to phase out of this house.

Someday soon, I’d love to take the whole fam to Paris, and I wanted a look that represented that. A look that would help keep my dreaming alive. Tres Chic was the vibe I had in mind, as I excitedly began my idea board. 

First step was lighting. I knew I wanted a vintage globe style light, but one that was more delicate than most of the midcentury lights I was seeing around.  I found the sweetest Etsy shop, Pepe & Carol's, who's handmade lights stood out with a vintage classic look but with a flare towards the feminine.  I choose this Glass Globe Waterfall Chandelier and I feel like it sits in the space beautifully. 

Next step was to replace the art.  I wanted a gallery wall with a mix of graphic and lighthearted prints in vibrant pastels to climb up the wall in an irreverent pattern.  Snoogs and Wilde has some of my favorite prints so I added two of theirs to the art collection. You can find those prints HERE. The rock on print in from Urban Outfitters which you can find HERE. I hand painted the little rainbow, and the Picasso replica is from Etsy.  I had fun one morning heading to the thrift store and picking out a bunch of vintage frames to use for this gallery.  Most cost around $2 so it was an incredibly affordable way to create a gallery wall, plus it adds the kind of lighthearted character that I value so much.

We decided to keep the current chairs that we had in the space, but we knew the table needed to be replaced.  Because I was on a budget, I opted for an easy DIY using Pretty Peg table legs, and a table top that I found on Craigslist for $20.  Pretty Pegs supplied all the hardware for the legs, so it was as simple as painting my table top and then drilling the mounting plates for the table and screwing them in.  In the end we created a solid wood breakfast table for under $150. 

Finally it was time to put all the pieces together! The round jute rug under the table was a happy mistake. I ordered it for a different room but didn't love it there, so I rather haphazardly put it under the table, and it ended up being perfect.  Isn't the texture so good? The rug is from overstock, and you can find it HERE. 

I sat our Walnut and Oak bench under the gallery wall which is just inside the entry from the garage. It's slightly wider than your average bench, and beyond sturdy. We use it in the mornings to hold book bags and it's also the perfect size to sit down and put on shoes.  

Lastly, the pink curtains were somewhat of a chance.  I hung them up before the refresh was finished and was like "Nope, pink curtains don't belong in the kitchen." But after all the other pieces were in place, it was the pop of pink that ended up pulling everything together. I'm absolutely obsessed. You can find similar HERE.  Also, lots of people ask about those curtain rods, yes, they are designed specifically for bay windows.  You can find similar HERE.

And there you have it.  I hope you enjoyed this little breakfast nook tour.  If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line!  All sources are listed below!

Xo, Jodi

Jute Rug         Dining Chairs         Curtains         Curtain Rod

Bench           Chandelier          Art Prints         Table Legs

               

LABOR DAY SALE PICKS

LABOR DAY SALE PICKS!

I've put together my favorite Labor Day Sale items from three of my favorite home stores.  Keep in mind that Anthropologie is offering an extra 40% sale items, West Elm is offering up to an extra 30% off sale depending on how much you spend, and Urban Outfitters is an extra 30% sale as well! Happy Shopping!! These items are going fast, so if you want them be sure to jump on it!

Anthro Bed

West Elm Nesting Tables

Anthro Wall Sconce

Anthro Macrame Pendant

Anthro Chandelier

West Elm Sofa

West Elm Colorful Rug

Urban Outfitters Blush Bedding

Urban Outfitters Mirror Set

West Elm Dresser

Anthro Carved Bed

Anthro Curtains

West Elm Bed

Anthro Fringed Pillow

Anthro Bed

I earn a small amount of commission for any purchase that you make! Thanks for helping make it possible for me to put these lists together! 

X0 -Jodi

DIY Stair Runner Tutorial

I keep drooling over the new oh so plush, peach stair runner I installed on my stairs this week. Entirely on my own, mind you, AND over the 3 - 4 o’ clock hour when my kiddlings were getting off the bus from school -now THAT is an accessible DIY people.

Before beginning, I researched a few different DIY blogs and videos, and put together a plan with my favorite tips and ideas. The entire process was simple, straightforward, and went off without a hitch. I’m so very pumped to share it now with you! 

A little back story first. The staircase at my front entry was my least favorite part of our fixer upper home when we first bought it. The stairs were covered in high pile beige carpet, the banisters were the sickly orange brown spindle  type, and there was a patch of parquet flooring at the base of the steps. 

Glory.

So my very first project of the house was to rip up the carpeting and attempt to stain the ratted up pine planks that were installed as the stairs. Y’all, it was not pretty. And it caught dirt like nobody's business.  We lived with it for the last few years however, until now.

I thought through all different ways to upgrade the stairs without having to tear them out completely, and landed on the art of distraction kind -To lay a dazzling runner up the ugly duckling so that no one will notice her flaws. Oh, it totally works!

So without further ado, here is my simple method for laying a runner up your staircase.

SUPPLIES

1. You'll need a carpet runner in the length of your stairs.

To find that amount, measure a stair, under the nose, and down the tread, to get the measurement of each stair, and then multiply that for as many stairs as you have. Order the appropriate length or amount of runners that you’ll need to cover it from top to bottom, remembering to add extra just in case! I needed 4 runners to complete my stairs. Don’t forget to consider the width of your rug, I liked the look of having 5 1/2 inches of stair showing on either side, so I went with a 27” wide rug. I choose this Celestia Pink Traditional Vintage style runner from Well Woven

 I wanted a print that would hide as much dirt as possible, and the peach was a perfect match for the rest of my home.

2. You'll need a non slip carpet pad. Some tutorials I read skipped adding the underlayment under the runner, but I wanted a little more cushion for my feet, so I used this cushioned non slip carpet pad. I’m so glad I did! It makes the trip up and down the stairs extra pleasurable.

3. Staple Gun (Here's a link to the one I use, which powers with an air compressor so I needed that as well).

4. You will also need 9/16 inch heavy duty staples, a utility knife, carpet tape, measuring tape, scissors, and a pencil.

Your first step is to cut the non slip carpet pad into rectangles, slightly smaller than the width of your rug and the depth of your stairs.  We aren’t going to be covering the lip of the step, so it doesn’t need to extend that far.  

When all of the pieces are cut, find the center of your top stair and mark it on the riser. Then match that with the center of your carpet pad and secure in place with two strips of carpet tape.

Once all your underlayment is taped down, you’ll begin to staple down the runner.  I started at the top of the stairs, centered the runner, and then attached it to the riser using a strip of carpet tape.  Tim cut me a couple 5 1/2" wood blocks to use as jig’s to keep the rug centered on each side as I made my way down so I wouldn’t have to measure every time.  They would have worked perfectly the entire time if my stairs didn’t start getting wider the further down the steps I went down - old house problems! But in the beginning it was really helpful to have them keeping everything in place as I stapled the carpet in place. 

As you go down the stairs, you are going to want to staple at the very base of the step, pull your rug smooth and tight, and then staple under the nose to secure it.  These are the least visible spots so attaching them as securely as you are able in those places will give you the most discreet staple job.  I found some steps seemed to need more security, so I stapled in other places where needed. Since my rug has a bit of pile to it, the staples hide easily underneath.

I was worried it was going to be tricky matching up the different runners, but it honestly was not difficult at all.  When I got near the end of a runner I would trim it with a utility knife so it ended under the nose of the stairs and then staple it in place.  The carpet tape made it a breeze to secure the next runner in place before I stapled it up, and voila!! The seams look pretty great I’d say! 

Once you get to the bottom, simply trim to size and staple it down!

I’m so glad I added this runner! It definitely works at hiding the dirt between vacuuming, it’s oh so soft under foot, and the whole project took me under 2 hours to complete -that included taking breaks to run down to the bus stop and help with homework.

Leave any comments or questions below! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

xo -Jodi

DISCLAIMER 

Some products contain affiliate links where I am paid a small percentage if you purchase that item.  Thanks ya'll!