Thursday, February 23

Floor Bed Inspirations (and our Tuft & Needle Mattress)

I've been working on new nightstands (I shared a sneak peek on Instagram and Facebook) because we made a pretty drastic change in the bedroom and our old nightstands were not up to the challenge. We put our mattress on the floor. Okay, it may not be all that drastic. But bear with me, here.


It all started in what the boys call our "tiny house." That's the rental we lived in for a few months at the beginning of last year. We moved suddenly and put most of our belongings in storage, taking only what fit in my parents van. The mattresses came, but the bed frames didn't make the cut. And so we had our first floor bed.


Husband tolerated it to save money on a frame (we had a perfectly good one in storage), but I loved it. Besides the obvious (no monsters under the bed), there were two main reasons I was digging the floor bed:
  1. I don't have to worry about babies falling off. There's actually one napping in that picture. He could probably roll off and not even wake up. the boys have had mattress on the floor for years for this very reason, and as soon as our mattress hit the floor I was all "THIS IS GENIUS." 
  2. I've read several Katy Bowman books about natural movement and adding more movement into your lifestyle. Sleeping on the floor gets your body moving in a whole different way to get up and down. No extra time commitment or reminders to fit it in, it's just part of our day now.
But then we moved to our new house and our bed frame came back. Boo. I think Husband missed it just a little. I mentioned from time to time that I liked when it was on the floor. He wasn't convinced. Then the conversation changed to talk of upgrading to a king-size mattress.Would it take up too much space in our bedroom? Would it be worth it to sleep better when kids are in the bed? The verdict: WORTH IT. We started searching through several mail-order mattress options (the price and convenience were both attractive, but we were wary of a mattress we couldn't even touch before we ordered). Fortunately I had several friends who had tried Tuft and Needle, and the combination of their recommendations plus one of the lowest price points we had seen sealed the deal. A few days later, the rolled up mattress arrived. I pulled off the plastic and it puffed right up. We've been sleeping on it for a few months now, and so far it has been great!

Napping baby approved. You can see our now too-tall nightstands in the corner.

One of the best things about getting a bigger mattress... we didn't have a frame to put it on! So we really had no choice but to leave it on the floor, right? I was crazy excited about it, and Husband noticed and he loves me so he said we can keep it like this. He's a keeper, himself.

Fortunately I'd been pinning a few favorite floor bed inspirations fort his very occasion! One thing I've noticed about floor bed photos is that they tend to feel cozy and super-chill. And I love it. This is one of my favorites with a warm, eclectic style. Even with white walls it feels personalized and inviting, and I love a little greenery to warm up the space. And see that nightstand? That was the main inspiration for our little crate-style nightstands. I can't wait to share those plans with you!

image via pinterest

This image is another favorite for a lot of the same reasons. I love the peaceful white that's warmed up with a little plant life, the cozy bed I just want to melt into, and the rich layered textures. But it's probably worth noting that our bedroom is currently a super dark green. So basically the opposite of these pictures. Hmmm.

Now let's talk headboards for a minute and think about this question: should a floor bed have a headboard? Because most of the ones I've looked at don't. The photo above does, but it's totally not what I'm looking for in a headboard. Which would be something more along these lines:


Upholstered (comfy to lean on), probably tufted (because I like it), and most likely a faux-leather type material (easy to clean because children). But I'm having a lot different feelings about how tall, what shape, color, and whether we should even have a headboard or not!


Choices, choices. Anyway that's where we are. I'd love to hear your thoughts on a headboard - what would you do???

Monday, February 20

DIY Coat Racks on the Cheap (two for $25!)

This week we learned that coat racks can be crazy expensive. Expensive enough to make me wonder "Do we really need to hang those coats up?" The cheapest we found was almost $30 for four hooks! Fortunately we found a DIY option that was much more affordable, and we ended up with two huge coat racks for under $25! (you may want to check out this super cute version we made with Ikea hooks, too!)


This is our first winter in our new house, and we've quickly developed a bit of a coat problem. It looks like this:


That would be all the snow pants and snow coats we own. And this is where we've kept them since November. The wouldn't fit in our little coat closet, and I didn't want snowy footprints through the house so we just dropped them by the door. Until this week, when I realized the crazy obvious solution I'd been overlooking. The hallway.


Friday, February 3

Rustic Front Porch Console - Friday Hack

Our new house has given us a lot of firsts, and one of my favorites is our first front porch. I have wonderful memories of our front porch growing up - eating breakfast with my dad and sisters, watching it rain, chatting with friends and family - and I can't wait to start making memories like that with my boys. So far our porch is pretty bare, but I'm excited to spruce it up this spring!

I keep going back to this porch I pulled out of a BHG magazine. I love the fresh mix of white and black that's warmed up with natural elements. And one of my favorite features is that rustic console by the door. I know console tables usually make an appearance in hallways or entertainment centers, but a porch is actually another great place to work in a console!

image via pinterest

Bringing furniture onto your front porch makes it feel more like an extension of your home. It creates a warm welcome for guests and a comfortable space for you to relax. But... this rustic console is great addition for more than just its looks. It's also a functional place to drop your bags or groceries while you unlock the door, and a handy place to keep things like a deck of cards for chilling on the porch or a weeding tool you can grab for the front flower bed!


Here's what you need to build your own:
1  -  1x3  @  10'
2  -  1x2  @  10'
1  -  1x2  @  8'
1  -  1x10  @  6'
3  -  1x8  @8'
1  -  1x12  @  10'
1x2" plywood - two pieces 21.5" x 10.5"
1/2" trim
Kreg Jig
1 1/4" pocket hole screws
1 1/4" wood screws
finishing nails
wood glue

Finished Dimensions: 61" wide x 22.5" wide x 30" tall


Measure twice, cut once (seriously, though). Use glue in every step. Read through all the instructions before you begin. Be safe, have fun, and let me know if you have any questions!

Cut List:
(A)  4  -  1x3  @  29.25"  (leg front)
(B)  4  -  1x2  @  29.25  (leg side)
(C)  2  -  1x10  @  8.25"  (sides)
(D)  1  -  1x10  @  48"  (back)
(E)  3  -  1x2  @  48"  (stretchers)
(F)  1  -  1x2  @  7.5"  (stile)
(G)  2  -  1x2  @  8.25"  (side stretchers)
(H)  2  -  1x8  @  65"  (top)
(I)  2  -  1x12  @  51.5"  (shelves)
(J)  3  -  1x2  @  11.25"  (drawer dividers)
(K)  2  -  1/2" plywood  @  21.5 x 10.5"  (drawer bottom)
(L)  4  -  1x8  @  10.5  (drawer sides)
(M)  4  -  1x8  @  23"  (drawer front/back)
(N)  trim

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