Update #3 - DIY Custom Dressing Room + Video Tutorial

Well, the Mr. was at it again this past week...  No, not another hiatus!  The positive feedback on Instagram of our previous update was the fuel he needed to keep going.  We thank you for that!  He turned on his turbo DIY engine and completed the remaining 6 doors and installed them.

This is the view as you come into our master suite.  This is the hallway that separates the closet/ dressing nook to the right, and the master ensuite to the left.  Our sleeping quarter is at the end where the chandelier is.  

If we hadn't made this change to the original floor plan to replace the his and her closets, then this hallway would look very enclosed.  Deleting that separation and widening the entrance of the closet gave the bedroom a much larger impression.

And these are the 6 doors that the Mr. worked on this past week.  I'm so glad I can now hide my mess behind them!!

Instead of posting just another regular update, the Mr. had another idea.  While he was researching on how to install cabinet doors, it was hard to find a video that demonstrated the process from start to finish.  He had to piece together different videos together to grasp the concept.  

To ease the research process of other DIYer's, we've put together a short easy guide to install cabinet doors.  It goes from start to finish; from drilling of the cup hinges, to installing the door on the cabinet frame, to adjusting the door to fit against each other.

Without further ado, here's our video tutorial!  So grab a coffee and take a look!  It's only 5 minutes!

This is our very first video tutorial, and we would be grateful to receive any constructive feedback and comments.  Please feel free to do so in the comment section below.

Next step is, you know it, to sand and paint the doors...  but only the door frames, as we're installing mirrors on them.  Then comes the finishing touches of installing crown moulding and lighting.  I threw in another last minute wifey request on the doors (oops I did it again?).  It'll just make the doors nicer, and I'm glad the Mr. agrees.  =)

Stay tuned for more updates!  I have a feeling the dressing room/ walk-in closet will be completed VERY soon!!  

In the meantime, you can connect with us on our Instagram account to get the latest updates around our house!

Here are the previous updates of our DIY custom walk-in closet/ dressing room:

Update #1

Update #2

Master Bedroom Chandelier Straight from the Fairytales

Seems like we're always pushing projects for the master bedroom until the rest of the house is done up. As we near the end of winter (hopefully) and putting its darkness behind us, I guess it's only fitting that it's about time we bring back some light for our master bedroom.  What happened to our light?  Read on...

It all began with an unplanned trip to a lighting store, with no expectations in mind, just to check out some lighting styles and prices.  And you know how it is, you always end up walking out with something when you weren't looking to make any purchases. 

We walked to the chandeliers section of the store, and how can you not be drawn in by all that bling?  Mind over matter, mind over… wow, that looks gorgeous! Is that a red tag? Matter won. 

A photo posted by Classy Glam Living (@classyglamliving) on May 10, 2015 at 11:00am PDT

Out of the hundreds of lights and chandeliers at the store, this Schonbek (and the red tag) won us over. Its intricate crystals trimmings are absolutely stunning. Each piece of crystal dangling off of it is carefully positioned for maximum oomph factor. We both knew we've found THE ONE... cue heavenly angels "ah~~~".

Here's a photo of it without the silk shade.

via Schonbek

The grandeur of its style and size is exactly what I wished for as the focal point of our master bedroom as we walk through that long alley that separates the dressing nook and the ensuite.  At about 2-ft all around, it's the perfect size and proportion for our bedroom (see design board).  

I just checked my Instagram photo of this chandelier, and it was 45 weeks ago that we bought this light. It's been sitting in its box for that long. We've moved in for more than 5 months now, but as you know, the Mr. has been busy with building our dressing room.

It's not that he hasn't attempted to put this chandelier up. One day while installing other lights around our new house, he thought he "might as well" put up this Schonbek. He removed the builder's boob light in our room, wires hanging out from the light box and all. He opened the Schonbek, shuffled around the box, cursed, and closed it.  

I looked at him "what the?!" as he put the wire nuts on the wires and shoved them back up in the light box. He said the arms of the Schonbek are not wired to the body.  Being busy with the closet and the side projects (this and this) I've thrown at him, he didn't want to deal with this yet.  Totally understandable...

And that was how we've had no ceiling fixture in our bedroom ever since (thank goodness for our bedside table lamps). 

But that was until this past weekend, when the spring-like temperature reminded me of the longer days, and my mind jumps like it does, I (ie. The Mr.) NEED TO PUT UP THAT SCHONBEK!

I opened up that box that was collecting dust, shuffled around, cursed… AND then checked the almighty YouTube in the hopes to find some kind of assembly instructions.   

Found it!   I was entrusted by the Mr. to wire each arm of the chandelier to the centre column.  We've never had to do this with the other chandeliers in our house, so it was a first for us, and for me!  But it wasn't hard at all, I followed the video to a T.

And here it is, in all its naked glory.  My photos don't do it justice, it's hard to capture the spectral colours reflected by the crystals.  Our eyes just naturally get drawn to its beauty and spectrum of light.

This is the view as you walk in to the bedroom area from the alley.  The right side of the room will eventually be the seating area.

The opulence of the chandelier also complements our sumptuous tufted headboard like they belong together.  Those side tables were the ones the Mr. refinished with love while we were still waiting at our rental to move into this house.

We also got the silk shade for the chandelier to visually increase the size.  Its soft oyster colour can complement any decor or future wall colour we may use, and it doesn't cover too much of the crystal trimmings at the bottom of the chandelier.  

The drapes are an integral part of this whole package.  They're gathered like ball gowns to act as a dramatic backdrop for the chandelier as seen from down the hall.  

We'll eventually give this room a fresh coat of paint (and maybe some wainscoting) and set up the seating area on the opposite wall.  Until then, we'll be happily mesmerized by our newly installed chandelier, straight from the fairytales.

DIY Refinishing Vintage Bedside Tables

When I was still under my parents' roof, I painted my bathroom's boring laminate grey vanity in a sky blue colour and changed out the ugly plastic knobs to brushed nickel ones from Umbra.  Quality of the paint job?  Questionable.  Changed for the better?  Absolutely.  It was a joy for my young self to walk into my bathroom with a cheerfully coloured vanity. I had it in me back then to beautify dull dinginess, and I've grown to love discovering potentials in pieces even more.  That was how I discovered these vintage night tables in the Henry Link Bali Hai collection, and the Mr. breathed new life into them. (I've now passed on the dirty work (-;)

Source list at the bottom of the post.

The Mr. did some basic prepping a while ago, as mentioned in this previous post. He removed the backing and unscrewed the top, since we planned on replacing it.

Removing the drawer pulls made it easier for cleaning. Make sure you give the piece of furniture a thorough cleaning on all surfaces if you're planning to repaint it. The primer and paint need to stick to the surface, not on dirt!

We chose to go with two knobs on each drawer.  We first eyeballed the approximate positions for the two knobs, and the Mr. measured the distance from one side and replicated that on the other side.  

He then filled out the holes left from the original hardwares and sanded them.  For a smoother finish, the holes were re-filled and re-sanded a second time.  

The Mr. preferred to use a roller when applying the primer and painting the tables, and a brush for touching up the details.  The tables were in decent vintage condition, so he only applied one coat of the Zinsser primer.  His review on the primer was that it went on very well, and the paint adhered to the primer smoothly.

He noticed brush strokes on the finished white table, which was most likely painted with a brush.  He had to lightly sand the surface before it could be re-painted.  

We chose a light grey colour in a glossy finish for a contemporary look. Two coats of paint were applied on the tables to get the evenly layered glossy look.  

After the paint had cured (best to wait a day for the paint to fully dry), it was time to re-attach the backing of the bedside tables.  He also painted them with the same grey paint before re-attaching.  This project was a good excuse for the Mr. to get the one tool that he's been missing - a cordless staple gun.  

Next was adding some jewels to the tables.  We love the style of this glass knob; it gives a vintage vibe, while the chrome backing gives it a bit of modern touch.  

Last but not least was the crowning of the bedside table with our beloved marble top.  Its lines and edge profile were fabricated from the original table top.  We love how the marble top adds sophistication to the simple elegance of the night tables.

And with that, here's the completed look of the refinished bedside table!  I can't wait to move into our new house, so that we can finally install our mirror headboard and see how our "new" bedside tables match up against it!

Thanks to the Mr.'s elbow grease, the tables turned out exactly how I envisioned them!  They now look all grown up from their previous ugly duckling selves when I first laid eyes on them.

I had initially wanted to install new brass pulls to mimic the original feel of the tables, but I'm glad the Mr. convinced me to use two glass knobs on either side of the drawers instead. They made the pieces look more elegant.

The grey paint on the tables is a nice neutral colour that helps to accentuate the grey veining in the statuario marble top. 

I'm so glad the Mr. agreed to refinish this set of vintage bedside tables.  They turned out gorgeous!  We finally have the storage we've always wanted in the night tables, and the marble top gives it all the more reason to clear off the surface to enjoy its natural beauty, 

Another DIY project in the queue done and done!  Stay tuned for the next one in queue!

Source List

• Henry Link Bali Hai collection bedside tables - Chatelet Home

• Wood filler

• Zinsser primer

• Paint colour - Behr's Silver Bullet

• Cordless staple gun

• Glass knobs

• Statuario marble source and fabrication - York Fabrica