These shelves are a fairly new product there and you can buy them in a multitude of sizes and really personalize them to what you want.

I wanted them to be a clean white so I simply spray painted them before assembly.  And by assembly, I mean, beat me over the head, have a meltdown, want to throw them out the window, 2 day ordeal.  I say this because I actually take pride in my Ikea assembling abilities.  I know all the little tricks and can read there poor directions like a boss now… but these were a mean surprise because it looked like they would be so so simple! They were not.  I managed to get it done but didn’t end up following any of the directions so I’m afraid I can’t help talk you through it… but I will pray for you! I think it turned out pretty well though and does the job for now.

This is in a corner of our dining room that I will share more of soon!

I’m not bitter at all that the movers removed 2 of the 4 wheels on my antique tea cart and are still no where to be found… not bitter at all.

Dalmation Trinket Dish found here but currently unavailable.

I love that I can enjoy my new collection and that it’s not hidden away anymore! The house is slowly coming along and this is motivating me to finish up the dining room fast

Pin below for sources later!

xoxo

B

The post Ikea Wall Shelves Hack appeared first on Windgate Lane.

It’s a phenomenon spreading through homes across the world! It starts out with that one pile on the kitchen counter top.  It’s just one pile… it will stop there.  But then company is coming and you quickly move part of the pile to the office and the other part up to your bedroom.  Night falls.  The pile in the office is out of sight out of mind.  The pile on the bed needs to get out of your way so that you can sleep so it moves either to the bench at the foot of your bed or on the bathroom counter.

There’s no ill intent with this pile.  There is a positivity that it will get taken care of any minute now.  But the truth is harsh.  That pile is added to day after day and before you know it, the counters, the benches, the office, the secret two drawers in your kitchen, even the cabinets under your sinks… yeah.  And at some point it’s just easier to ignore, until that one day.  That one day when you realize that you have no idea what is even in the pile and you start looking and the horror and discovery sends you down a rabbit hole.

After I got out of the fetal position, I decided to formulate a realistic plan.  Because let’s face it, this happened because there are 8 million other things going on around me, so it wasn’t going to get better if I spent all day fixing it all because then it would result in chaos in every other part of the house.  Funny how that happens so quickly.  Actually it’s really not funny.

So let’s just start with 5 Degrees of the Clutter.  Last week I picked 5 frightening spots in my home to organize and declutter.  None of which are huge and would only maybe take an hour each to do.

1.  Kitchen counters and junk drawers
2.  Chair in the Master Bedroom
3.  Under the bathroom sinks
4.  The pile of bills in the office
5.  My dresser.  This may not sound like much but as a whole it is a task.

I know you all are just chomping at the bit to see the before pictures.  Wondering if I am the fraud who says my house is a mess but there is one single cup on the counter… no my friends… I am no fraud.  In fact my honesty usually gets me in trouble… just ask my school and the PTA! I show lots of pretty pictures here because let’s face it, that’s really what you want to see the majority of the time, but this is going to give you the satisfaction of some nice before and after shots.

Before:  Kitchen counters and Junk Drawer(s)

Kitchen Make-Over Here

Basic instructions:  Take everything out of them and place on the floor.  Look at it all in disgust.  Throw out all obvious trash.  Throw out everything you didn’t even know was in there anymore, like the 4 cute planners that you never used, the 45 chapsticks you were looking for, the hair clips because you know you have 400 others, and the copies of recipes you saved which you can now google in two seconds.  Now divide and conquer.  What goes where and before you go buy all the cute little organizers that would make this project fun, actually see what you need.  (That was hard for me because I reeaaalllly love buying organizing stuff.)

Ummm… here’s a back scratcher…

And After: (the boys insisted we keep the back scratcher)

That is a glorious cleaned off counter!

Before: Master Bedroom Chair

Let’s all just fess up.  Everyone has that chair or bench in their room that is not used for it’s intended purpose.  It would probably be extremely helpful to just not have it so you wouldn’t put things on them! But they are cute and we have them so let’s just get on with it.  All of my kid’s laundry?  Put away.  All of my husband’s laundry?  Hung up neatly.  My laundry? Dirty and clean ends up here.  Also paperwork that I intend to go through after I hide it (read first paragraph) and other odds and ends that are in my hands and I set down when I get distracted by said kids and husband.  All here.

This is pretty simple, but it actually has to be done.  Put clean clothes away, wash dirty clothes and actually put those away, file or trash paperwork, put toys in appropriate places, and put caution tape across the chair to try and avoid this same scenario the next day.

And After:

Restored! You can find the DIY fabric and painted chair tutorial here.

Before Bathroom Cabinets

I’m not proud of this one.   It’s been awhile for all of them.  Old product, old cleaner, old hair tools (have to keep the crimper though because people need to borrow for 80’s parties all the time).

And because under your bathroom sink is the only place to keep space ice cream…

It’s time to get real.  If you haven’t looked for it in at least a year, it’s out.  Now I can actually see what I have and what I need when it’s running out.  Amazing concept but when you run a household these are the places that come last.

After Cabinets:

Before: Bills in the Office

I hate mail clutter.  Why don’t you just pay them all online and go paperless you ask? Because I tried that and for whatever reason I didn’t see the emails or my brain doesn’t work so then I paid bills late.  You want money from me? I need notice in my hand.  So my plan is usually keep the last 6 months and shred the rest.  Sounds good and attainable but as noted about every other situation in my house, life happens.  This is a dirty job and an annoying one and just has to get done.  Separate by bills and then file or shred.

Side note: The best part about making these little tasks each day is that they kind of naturally lead to a general tidying around the areas.  Did I need to have spray paint in my office… ummm no.

After:  Bills

To see the office make-over head here (yes this 70’s file cabinet is going to get a make-over soon)

Before: My Dresser

Ugh.  A dumping ground.  I appreciate all of you that don’t let these things happen but in my world, it just happens.  The kid’s masterpieces need to be displayed, I leave my jewelry out, 5 legos that I found and could possibly be needed, the bandaids that were brought up in an emergency play room situation, bug bite cream, and the glass of water I meant to drink.   And the cords that still need to be hidden from getting a new TV.

After: Dresser

Master Bedroom Make-Over

It’s not all about picture perfect on my dresser and I like it that way.  I love seeing my pictures and trinkets that may seem like clutter to some, but are actually momentos from very special people in my life that have gone before me.

So 5 days and 5 areas.  Is my house now clean and amazing?  No.  But at least a new beginning in some places.  Kind of how I look at a new year.  Making a huge resolution seems like a big way to disappoint yourself.  Maybe set your bar a little lower and just focus on being better at what you can one day at a time.  Who knows?  Maybe I will not put things on my chair in my bedroom! I mean that is definitely not going to happen, but maybe I will make myself put my laundry away when I make the boy’s do there’s.  Sometimes the little things add up to a bigger thing.

Organization and life don’t actually go hand in hand.  Be easy on yourselves and know that all the pretty pictures in the magazines and the ones you even see here are just that… pretty pictures.

But organizing a post like this did help me motivate.  So maybe shorter lists is the key to greater accomplishments!

Want to see how some of my amazing friends are organizing there way into this new year?! I do! Secretly I also love some messy before and glorious after shots!  Check out these awesome ladies below!

| Domestic Charm | 11 Magnolia Lane | Evolution of Style | Just a Girl and Her Blog |

| Southern State of Mind | Redhead Can Decorate | Chaotically Creative |

| Robb Restyle | Ciburbanity | Windgate Lane | Suburban B’s |

| My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | This is our Bliss |

xoxo,

B

The post Five Degrees of Clutter appeared first on Windgate Lane.

This is my first year participating in Calling it Home’s, One Room Challenge, and because I am pushing to get a couple of rooms ‘complete’ in my house, I decided to work not only on the Dining Room but also my Master Bedroom!  So each week you will get two separate posts on Wednesdays  showing my progress so make sure you catch both!

So here’s how the ORC works!

Today kicks off week one where interior design bloggers challenge themselves to transform a room from start to finish, while documenting the process along the way in 6 weeks.

It’s just the motivation I need! I want to get all of my major projects done before summer hits and the boys are back at home to ‘help’ me

Here is a picture of the space after I did the paneling a few years ago (post here)…

| Mirrors | Link to French Provincial Hutch Redo |

And here it is now with my DIY Live Edge Table…

This room became my workspace once the summer heat just wouldn’t quit and furniture needed to dry.  So I made the table so that it could be moved easily but still give us a semi-nice dining space to eat on our fancy 4 meals a year

And that’s how it has sat for too long! No chairs… just ones we drag from other places and sometimes laundry drying on the floor.  Not proud of that, but it’s the truth.  So let’s make a list, because Momma loves to check off a list!

1. Finish paneling around the window
2. Find chairs that can be easily stored/removed as well
3. New curtains
4. Hang Artwork
5. Refurbish tea cart
6. Replace hutch with a larger sideboard for more storage
7. Utilize said storage to not have junk on counters!

So there you have it! It seems very attainable… until I add in everyday life and the ten other things that will come to me that I want to do in there as well.  Super excited! You can jump over here to follow the progress of my Master Bedroom as well!

I’m so excited to get started on both of my rooms and give you updates each week on my progress!

xoxo

B

The post |One Room Challenge| Dining Room appeared first on Windgate Lane.

The master bedroom hasn’t ever gotten much love in our home.  It has gotten mini make-overs and been painted, but has continued to be a dumping ground and hodge podge of furniture and bedding.  Over the last six months though, I have watched for sales and finally gotten a few pieces that finally brought it all together for me! Like not just buying something because it was kinda what I wanted- but actually getting the real deal.

Sources will be included at the bottom of the post- and next week I will share tutorials for the lamps (would you believe they were not white and the shades were not black to begin with?!) and the leopard pillow… I made it! Can you tell I’m a little proud of myself?

Without further ado… our refreshed master bedroom!

| Wall Color: Benjamin Moore Northern Cliffs |

Bedding Sources

| Euro Blue Check Shams | Black Piping King Shams | Blue and White Toile Shams |

| Comforter | Leopard Pillow DIY |

The furniture I will do my best to source- some pieces are no longer available- but my go to sources for nice, affordable furniture are commonly Joss and Main, One Kings Lane, Overstock, and Wayfair.  It’s not easy to order furniture online, but that’s when it pays to wait for free shipping coupons and measure your space plan more than once!

| Artwork: Minted | Green Malachite Tray | Lamps: DIY |

| Faux Grey Leather Bench | Pedestal Side Tables Similar here and here |

| Black and White Blanket | Rug |

Next week I’ll be back with a fun Fall Home Tour and the easy tutorials for the projects mentioned above!

xoxo

B

**Affiliates present- no product was provided for this post- all opinions are my own**

Linking To:

Thrifty Decor Chic

Something To Talk About

Creativity Unleashed Link Party

The post Master Bedroom: Black, White, and Blue appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I used to dread hanging a new picture on the wall.  First because I knew I would probably have to patch a hole in the wall and second because I was afraid of hanging it incorrectly.  A drill? Anchors? What? Nevermind!

But now I got this down and I wanted to share my very simple tutorial with you all- and I even made a little video that you can watch to see every single step!

I have had these very sad hooks in my laundry room for waaaay to long- and they were prior to my knowing how to hang something correctly so they had basically broken or pulled out of the wall… so not too functional.

I spotted these hooks at Target one day and decided they would be perfect for the space!  How long did they sit on the floor in my laundry room before I actually hung them? Don’t ask.

The following video will show you step by step how I patched the wall and then hung the new hooks! I will include some sources and steps below- now get to hanging your stuff without fear!

So- now that you have watched the video tutorial- here’s a list of what you need to gather before you start!

1.  An Anchor Pack with Bits- similar to this one

2.  Spackling

3.  Hammer

4.  Drill

5.  Level

6.  Screwdriver Driver

TUTORIAL:

1.  Spackle

2.  Paint

3.  Mark new holes

4.  Drill starter holes with new drill bit

5.  Lightly hammer in wall anchor

6.  Screw your screws into place

7.  Step back in awe of your amazingness!

Pin Here to find this tutorial later!

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

xoxo

B

The post Patching a Wall and Tutorial for Hanging with Anchors appeared first on Windgate Lane.

If you have matchbox cars around your house, then you are probably aware that keeping those little buggers put away is like chasing your tail.  One gets put up… another rolls away to that one spot on the rug that it blends into so that you can step on it and get severely injured.

When ours are actually put away, they are in this storage box from Ikea…

It’s worked well- but there are usually strays up in the boy’s rooms that are their favorites… because we have A LOT.

So I wanted something fun for them to be able to keep in their rooms and move around the house with if need be.  Ya know, if there is a matchbox car emergency downstairs.

I also wanted a way to display them… because they may not be played with as much as they used to be… don’t make me cry!

Enter our friend, Ikea, again! I was there on unrelated business but of course had to peruse through all the things I didn’t need and justify needing them ALL.  So after I picked out a new blanket (if you follow me on Instagram you got to see a sneak peak of it @windgatelane), new kitchen towels, and a cute candle holder, I meandered through the garden section.

I came across these acrylic green houses (Vindruva) for $10 and was immediately pondering what I could use them for since I had already put them in my basket (hee).

I’m assuming you know where this is going…. and tada! Matchbox car storage!

The boys love them because you can see through to find what you are looking for easily- and Momma likes because they are kind of cool to look at it.  I also couldn’t stop myself from putting some washi tape on there for a fun little accent.

And they have so many possibilities besides the match box cars… I know, hard to believe since that’s not what they are for in the first place… slaps forehead.

It is a set of three- one big, that I used for the cars- and then two small.  So I had a bit of fun with the small ones!  A quick and easy Easter centerpiece… The Hubs said… what do you need a gold cake plate for? Duh! I need it for everything… clearly (it was from Ballard Designs but is now unavailable, sorry).

I’m also thinking that I should get another set and they could make a stunning Christmas display filled with lights up on the mantle… it’s too early though… right? I kid.

Pin here so you can find sources later!

Hope you are all having a wonderful day!!

xoxo

B

The post Matchbox Car Storage appeared first on Windgate Lane.

My husband and boys, bless their hearts, look at a pillow or blanket on the couch as an invitation to throw said pillow or blanket on the floor.  Surely I am not alone in my battle to keep a pretty throw pillow on the couch! But I am outnumbered… so I decided that at least I could try to enforce a place to throw them off too… I know… but maybe it will work once or twice.

I decided a rolling basket would be great for a multitude of things like toys, etc, even if the pillow plan doesn’t pan out.  But wasn’t finding what I wanted.  And decided to make my own.

I found this plant stand at Ikea that has wheels that attach easily to it- and then found this basket at Walmart that has a board in the bottom so I knew I could easily attach them together.

Plant Stand: $10

Basket: $11

I simply attached the wheels (easiest Ikea assembly ever) and then screwed 4 small screw through the bottom of the basket into the plant stand!

I have to say- I haven’t been in Walmart for awhile and I was pretty impressed with several of the Better Homes and Gardens products I saw- I’m thinking of buying one of their lamps as well- and great prices!

I kind of want to put everything on wheels now, but since my 5yr old already tried to get in the basket and he is not a small child… I’m rethinking having too many things that could be construed as a vehicle of any kind.

Hope you are having a great day!

xoxo

B

Linking to:

Think and Make Thursday Party

The post DIY Rolling Basket appeared first on Windgate Lane.

After a failed attempt at making my son a valance out of card board (don’t ask), I wanted to make him something that was sturdier!  I did this project during my Five Days/ Five Rooms Challenge but wanted to give you a better tutorial.

I had purchased this navy and white buffalo check at Ikea awhile back, knowing I would use it somewhere… and because I am obsessed with all checked things.

And after a quick search of my scrap wood in the garage- I found this old board that had the perfect aged look that I was hoping for!  I laid out my fabric and cut it down to the size I wanted with about an inch extra on each side.

I then used my trusty staple gun and stapled it along the back of the board.

After that- I folded the sides in that were hanging past the wood on each side and ironed them to the correct width.

I then used my Liquid Stitch to keep it all in place! It’s the sewing challenged person’s best friend! Just put some on and then iron over.  Easy Peasy!

The board already had two holes in it- so I held it against the wall- made sure it was level- and then colored in where the holes were with a pencil.  I did use anchors before the screws just to ensure that this one would not fall down like the old one.

I am the first to say that I hate blown out pictures- but unfortunately this room is the absolute worst for picture taking! So ya get what ya get!

The post DIY Valance appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I had just completed my 5 Days/ 5 Rooms Challenge and was ready to sleep for the next 10 Days in One Room!

And then this past weekend I attended an amazing conference in Atlanta, called Haven, which I will give all the details about soon:) Awesome time- awesome peeps, awesome tools, learned a ton that I can’t wait to share with y’all!

But today I want to recap the projects and let you in on some more details.

Day 1 was the Gallery Wall in my Playroom.

This looks simple enough- but involved painting the wall (Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter) and then hanging these blasted Ikea frames.  Such a love/ hate relationship with them- LOVE the price and look, HATE hanging them with their wires across the back.

Yes, I have seen different tutorials on making it easier, but I just decided to wing it and then tighten or loosen the wires to make sure they were all even.

Day 2 was the Gallery Wall around my tv in my master bedroom.

Keep in mind that most of these projects involved hanging things… if you are a psychologist you might read into that and think that I put off things that have to be hung on walls… you would be right!

I will have a DIY horse graphic up for you later this week~

Due to the walls in our house being made from cottage cheese and also as level as well… something really not level, it is a drive you to drink job!

But I always remind myself that worst case scenario is having to fill a little hole in the wall- and to bring down my stress a bit- I had my 3M filler and paint ready to go incase that happened.  and it may have happened… twice.

Day 3 was my oldest son’s new shelves over his dresser.

By utilizing more of the vertical space- we were able to remove his bookshelves on the other wall and now he has so much more space in there! Which, let’s face it- boy’s just want space to run!

Day 4 moved into my little boy’s room and was a closet clean up and organization and then a new DIY valance.

This shoe holder turned daily clothes planner is really more useful for me during school- but he loves it already and is getting us in a good habit.

This valance- which I will be sharing a tutorial on later this week- was so simple and replaced one that was thrown together too quickly and just kept falling down all the time!

Day 5 was making our family room look a bit more summery! I have been collecting these vases sporadically and finally got enough to have two pretty groupings on top of our entertainment center.

I love all of the blue and green tones in them- makes me long for the ocean!

And then a summer wreath for our front door completed the 5 Days of Chaos!

I already had this drift wood wreath from Hobby Lobby and when I saw this ribbon there- I knew the two together would be awesome, yet simple.

I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for another organizational challenge coming up soon!
xoxo
B

The post 5 Days/ 5 Rooms Challenge Recap! appeared first on Windgate Lane.

Day 4 of the big clean up and baby boy’s room is up…

Today will be my baby boy’s room… I do that to distinguish the two boys as he is actually 5

This room is ridiculous when trying to get good light for photos- so today you will just get a couple of shots and next week I will share the tutorial! All it took was some barn wood in the garage and some navy/white fabric and this puppy was about 100x better!

Not a huge make-over- but two projects I have been putting off and a nice big bag of clothes to donate! All in all- a good day!
xoxo
B

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