Today is just a quick post – written in the half hour between the little fella going down for his nap and the little lass waking up from hers – to share with you some photos of our recent home improvements.
I’ve never been one for frou-frou. As such, I’ve always underestimated home decorating. I’m particularly against having a whole heap of dust collectors hanging around the house (I hate dusting).
But I’ve discovered of late just how much more enjoyable our home can be since we’ve taken the time and effort to make it comfortable and visually appealing according to our personal aesthetic, instead of just functional.
The photos below are of things we have actually made for the home. DH has shown a talent for woodwork that I didn’t know he had and these are some of the furniture items that he’s built recently.
This bookshelf is for the little fella’s room. It still needs a coat of varnish – that will have to wait until it stops raining. I labelled the baskets, one for cars and one for wooden blocks, to make clean up time easier.
When we had our sewage leak in the living room, the cheap-o chipboard bookshelf soaked it all up in a jiffy. One of the benefits of being able to make our own bookshelf is that we got a much better one for the same cost as replacing the chipboard one.
The TV cabinet isn’t quite finished – the bottom will have two drawers in it. As a side note, DH won both the TV and the PlayStation (as well as a bunch of games). The PS is great for watching ABC iView, which is the only TV we still watch apart from DVDs.
There are other items that DH has made that I haven’t pictured. He has also built a cupboard for the garage and a trolley for under the sink (where the dishwasher used to reside). This trolley has the bread maker and slow cooker on it. I can shut the door and keep small hands from being burnt while cooking and then roll it out when needed.
I have been doing some sewing for the home (although not so much lately). I’m halfway through covering the couch which makes it look [almost] brand new again. The fabric for the couch is cotton painter’s drop cloth from Bunnings and cost around $60 for the lot (with plenty spare).
I recently finished a patchwork pillow (all scraps from previous projects; the zip, piping and insert salvaged from an old cushion) and have just about finished a knitted pillow cover (also leftover yarn and salvaged insert).
When it comes to making your house a home, it’s one thing to pretty it up; it’s another to make things and be able to say “I made that.” It’s more than just comfort and aesthetics – there’s also effort, learning, growth, teaching, patience, quality, uniqueness, accomplishment and pride.
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