Studio & Kitchen Updates

It was Christmas up in here yesterday because we finally got the Ikea delivery we've been waiting on for five weeks!

via Instagram

This will keep us busy for the next few weeks—but priority #1 was to get the studio situated.

I've been using the desks from my old studio, which work fine but things were just a bit cramped...

The large cutting desk has a shallow drawer that pulls out and the chair was right in the way.

Fortunately, I was able to find the exact same table tops (Linnmon) that were 6" shallower. Not a drastic change, but when you cut your studio size almost in half, every square inch counts.

These desks were narrower but longer, so we had to trim them down to the same length with a table saw.

First we cleared everything out...

Then brought the first new table top in:

We were able to reuse the same legs so it was a pretty straightforward swap.

Here's what we ended up with, after the second desk went in:

I still need to re-trim the cutting board desk which will happen in the near future.

I'm glad we got this out of the way so now I can focus on the final decorating touches!

We also decided to address this empty wall which is on your left when you walk in:

The shelf ledges from my old studio were the perfect fit. We brought them in and secured them to the wall using walldogs (best invention EVER... took less than a minute per shelf)

And now I have a place to set my ready-to-ship prints:

Ignore all of the disorganization going on in these photos—I'm ditching the blues & greens and going for something a bit cleaner and more monochromatic. There will be a big organization post coming as soon as I get the motivation.

I also finally got around to spray painting that gold light, and hanging the DIY sign I made last year:

I also found a place inside the closet for my brocade wall file (purchased a few years ago from the Container Store):

And there you have it, the current status of the studio. It's about 83% done right now... here's what's left:

-Repaint/relabel/reorganize console table storage
-Hang art
-Build floating shelves for extra storage in the closet
-Buy/hang window shades
-Attach a fabric "wall" to the front of the cutting desk to hide the storage underneath
-Build a large storage bin for underneath the desk to hold shipping supplies

The kitchen will be taking up most of our time over the next couple months, but hopefully I can squeeze in a few of these updates in between our bigger projects.

Speaking of the kitchen... we have a new door handle:

I considered a silver one for a second, but ultimately went with ORB because 1) it matches the cabinet hardware, and 2) I bought identical replacements for the front door and garage door at the same time so I could have them all keyed to fit the same key. I decided to make them all consistent throughout the house, and I'll be ordering the same style for the interior doors in the future.

I think the oval shape is different and fun.

Also, our very last appliance—the dishwasher—is finally in!

Anyone have any suggestions for a good stainless steel cleaner??

Did you notice I replaced the bulb in the pendant light?

I found this vintage style bulb at Lowe's for $6. The color is warmer than the recessed lights which I'm still not sure about, but apparently that's standard for these types of filament bulbs. I think it's worth it—hopefully our electric bill won't go up too much!

So now you're all caught up to the current state of our house. Tonight I plan on ripping into some Ikea boxes to build the pantry. Oh, I can't wait for this one. Please send some good furniture assembling vibes our way...