Happy Hump Day everyone! Don’t worry… our calendar isn’t broken. I know it’s Friday, so I should be saying TGIF but instead I’m talking about Wednesday. What is going on? With Summer in full swing, it can be tough to make it through the work week with the sun shining and vacationers romping all around us. In Tahoe, this is especially true. So, were changing things up to help us all get through the week & bee-line to the weekend with some project inspiration. The nluv Memos is moving to Wednesdays to create some Hump Day Hoopla!
It’s time for Hump Day Hoopla!
Our studio is full of furniture pieces and project boards, so there’s no shortage of things to do. If you remember, last week we talked about ‘ 5 Tips for a Flawless Finish‘. With all our projects at different stages, we have to follow our own advice to keep things on track! Our project board has seven different ideas in motion and with that comes a lot of planning and organization. We can’t wait to share them all with you and what better day to do it than Wednesday to get us over the mid-week point and drum up some weekend excitement with Hump Day Hoopla!
Project Board Sneak-Peak
We can’t tease you by saying the studio is buzzing with creativity and not share. So, here’s a sneak-peek at all the upcoming projects we’ll be sharing.
50’s Ice Chest
Our neighbors did a little spring cleaning and this little beauty ended up on the curb! Say it ain’t so! It’s cute, unique and deserving of some TLC. This little 1950’s ice chest was tucked away in a back shed from the original owners of their Lake Tahoe cabin. I’ve never seen a piece like this before with its trap doors in the back for ice blocks and shelves & swinging doors for all your frozen treats. The plan is to remove the rust, paint and build a new top. After all that, this beauty will be ready for a new life. Who knows what it will be used for but its next chapter is coming and we can’t wait to see it!
Antique Table & Chair
A classic estate sale find, this adorable table and chair duo is crying for a makeover. With its delicate carvings and dainty-look, the antique qualities of this set will shine with some special care. After minor repairs and preparation, paint, stencils & a little antique waxing will transform this one-of-a-kind gem deserving the spotlight in any room. After sitting in the previous owners closet for five years, it’s time to ‘breathe new life’ into this classic set and honor it’s craftsmanship with a little love and elbow-grease.
Garage Sale Stool
We love garage sale finds… especially ones that look so ordinary but can be transformed into something so special! A family friend was clearing out their garage and sitting off to the side of the walking path was this unassuming stool. Just one… no pair or family of stools to belong to. It is scratched and a little banged up but to me that just shows its had a good life and holds many memories. Most people just walked past this piece probably thinking, “What can I do with only one stool?” But not me! This single stool deserves a jazzy new look to not be used as just a stool in its next life, but rather as a showcase piece. Perhaps it can be a display shelf, hold a potted plant or even a lamp. As its transformation takes shape, its new purpose will emerge.
50’s Dresser
Abandoned in an old run-down foreclosed home, this gorgeous 1950’s dresser sat tucked away the corner of a dark room. Hand crafted with matching wood grain drawers, the original invoice for the piece was stamped 1952! How could we let this get sent to the dump with the house cleanup? No way! This beautiful piece is heavy, made of solid construction and lots of real wood. The beauty of this piece is in the wood grain so it must be preserved. Perhaps a little accent paint with a lot of sanding, staining and protective clear coats and this one will be a stunner!
Mirror Frames
Mirrors, mirrors, everywhere but on the walls… we all have mirrors but they aren’t always fashionable decor pieces. Custom frames around those boring mirrors is just the recipe for a useful piece that accentuates a room. Whether the mirror is used to open up the room or for getting dressed in the morning, it deserves to not be tucked away behind a door in shame. Hang it out on a wall and draw attention to it with a customized look! Your mirror deserves to be looked at in its own right, not just create a reflection and be dismissed or hidden away. Distressed paint, stencils, plaster textures, shimmer… who knows what will emerge as the mirror’s design but when it does, you’ll take notice and want to do it in your own spaces.
Cast-away Side Table
Sometimes friends need a helping hand and you gain new house mates. The nluv Studio house had guests for a while and when the time came for them to leave, not everything that came into the house left the house. This little table was left behind in hopes it would be given a better life and a new ‘hair do’. Unique side tables used as accent pieces are so poplar today as more designs use single unmatched pieces to bring interest into the room. The possibilities are endless for this one! We’ll have to see what inspiration we get after cleaning this one up and prepping it for its next journey. We know it will look amazing and be used in any room it finds its way into.
Chalkboards
I had such a great time building a custom chalkboard for my mom’s birthday, we’re ready to make some more. The boards are primed, painted and ready to be customized! These designs always seem to be inspired by nature so the Lake Tahoe mountain theme takes over on these projects. I have a whole sketch book full of ideas and can’t wait to get started. First one out is for the nluv Studio hall closet. It is one of those closets that ‘extra’ stuff gets randomly stuffed and then we forget its there. The door needs a custom chalkboard so we can scribble what’s in this mystery closet & never lose another supply! I bet you have a closet like this too, right?
We all look forward to summertime… dreaming of relaxing days and vacation getaways. But, reality is that we still have to work even though we stare out the windows to the fun just beyond our reach. We love what we do at nluv Studio, but we feel the same way and always wish we were out on the trails biking and soaking up the sun.