The Transformation....

This was my old craft room.

 

 

Sorry the picture is such a mess.  I just can't seem to find a "pretty" pic of it when I didn't have a huge mess in there.  My craft room is now in my son's old bedroom upstairs.  It has three windows and lots of sunlight streaming in.  I do love it but...I am quickly running out of storage for all that "stuff" you just have to keep for those "future" projects.  I also feel a little guilty stealing his room, since he is at college less than an hour away.  My daughter however, is living in Japan for the last two years and her room remains...the "shrine" with all of the things left exactly as they were when she left.  I guess one reason is she couldn't exactly take it all with her!  I will do a "post" on my new craft room soon.

But now my old craft room has become my husband's office.  Finally a room just for him.  He doesn't have a "man cave" yet as our basement is unfinished.  At least now he has a room, where he can work at home, "chillax" on his laptop and put together puzzles that won't be lingering on the dining room table.  Although, to be fair...how often do we use that!  First order of business to change out my favorite teal colored walls for a nice soft creamy color.  Painting the rooms are never my favorite project.  I do however like the huge impact and instant gratification that a can or two or paint and a few hours will get you!

Here is an overall shot of the new office:

We were going for a Steampunk sort of feel in this room.  We have had several antiques for many years and this room is a perfect home for them along with the newer "antiques" we purchased and the "faux" ones as well.  For instance, the oil lamp in the left corner of the desk is from the late 1800's.  I have an actual dated picture with it sitting in a wall sconce.  Hard to believe that the glass has been around this long.  It is beautifully etched.  The M.V.P. "soccer man" trophy in the center is my hubby's pride and joy from college.  The coffee table is a "Rooms to Go" table that we purchased about 11 years ago.  It was originally a dark stain.  A few years ago I painted it the creamy color as my decor in my family room changed.  Then it was sent to the basement until it was revived once again for his room.  My hubby told me out of the blue one day that he liked the "Union Jack" flag.  An overhead projector, a huge pack of transparencies his office could no longer use and I was in business.  Of course, when I readied all my supplies and turned on the projector...the bulb blew out!  I can't tell you  how many weeks it was before hubby finally ordered the new bulb (he is in the lighting business) and then they lost the order (of course) before I finally got to get this project even started.  Luckily, it went much smoother than I anticipated.  Initially, I was going to leave it pristine and crisp...nah, I needed to "age" it.  Now he has a place to put together those puzzles and to put his feet up.  Out of view is a "Pottery Barn like" loveseat from JCPenney with a creamy colored slipcover.

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 Now the most fun is always "merchandising"!  The desk is from Restoration Hardware.  Probably the most expensive piece of furniture we have ever purchased.  We are "thrifty"...but this piece called to both of us and we purchased it at an outlet with a good discount and had a coupon.  When closed it looks like a steamer trunk.  The inside is just as dreamy as the outside.  The old wooden toolbox I purchased at Columbus flea market in NJ over the summer.  It was filthy and covered in oily grime.  I am really bad at leaving things dirty.  I took it outside and using Dawn dish detergent and an Orange gritty hand cleaner with some brushes, I scrubbed the heck out of it!  When I do these things, there is always a little gut wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach that I shouldn't be getting things...especially wood things soaking wet!  Thankfully, it dried without warping and it is just so awesome.  I really wasn't sure I was going to put it in his office, but it does fit perfectly.  An old glove mold from Trenton Porcelain, a cool clock "thing" that I purchased at Lakewood 400 antiques here in GA and his bronzed baby shoes.

 

 

 

  Every man needs his trusty dog. This interesting fellow was a find at Columbus flea market over the summer.  He stands over two feet tall and I just loved his crackling finish and broken ear.  Plus he was only $5.  We call him "Jackal" dog! 

 These old vintage cutters were a find at Columbus Flea Market in NJ as well.  I think they were about $5 too!  OMG...I love the flea markets up in Jersey!

 An old railroad lantern from my hometown of Cream Ridge, NJ, a mannequin head with a vintage Bowler hat and welding goggles, and old clock with the gears showing (love that).

 An assortment of goodies here.  A driftwood owl purchased from Home Goods, and an old tin piece from the Green Bean Exchange here in GA.  The Royal Plastics company case is from Flowery Branch antique market with a Delta Airlines Georgia tag still on it.  A seltzer bottle from Lakewood, NJ and something I never thought I would like...a deer antler.  Supposedly, it is one that had been shed by a deer.  That was their story and I am sticking with it!  I purchased the toy airplane at Columbus Flea Market too.  I thought it was maybe vintage but I didn't pay much attention because my hands were full of other stuff.  I paid $10 for that one and a bi-plane.  I cracked up later when I saw a Pottery Barn sticker on the bottom of one!  That's OK though...I looked on line for them and couldn't find them anymore.  That would make them "vintage Pottery Barn" don't ya think?!  I spray painted them a bronze color and a copper color anyway.  Couldn't have any blue and red going on!

The Wasp's nest...I have been wanting one of those for a while.  Well...sort of!  I am very afraid of stinging insects, since being a country girl I have been stung more times than I would like to remember.  After seeing them around, I finally broke down and purchased one from the Green Bean Exchange in Freehome, GA.  I had the store owner put it in a bag and tie it shut.  Ya know...just in case.  It was a hot day and I had many other places to shop.  Hours later when I opened my car door....yuck!  The smell was like I had stepped in dog poo!  I checked my shoe bottoms, the mats in my car and realized that what ever larva was left in that nest...cooked.  Not a good smell let me tell you.  That nest sat in my garage for about two months before the smell finally dissipated and until I finally had the nerve to bring it in the house.  I was always checking to make sure that there was no "stealth fighter wasps" emerging from the nest.  Whew!!!  But the paper mache home that they created is absolutely stunning!

 I saw a light fixture in a store and the "creative" part of me wanted to try and make it on my own.  I found an old fixture and took it down to it's skeleton.  The pages are old stock certificates aged with coffee and very low wattage bulbs being that the fixture is mostly paper.  I love it!  There are "work horse" fixtures in the room for when brighter light is needed.

Here it is with the light bulbs off.  It has a different look during the day.  Luckily, since my hubby dislikes coffee the smell has dissipated.  But there is an interesting sort of sweet old aroma in the room.  Part of that smell is the leather shag rug on the floor.  That was a Home Goods find as well.  I really wasn't sure about it when I purchased it.  But once it was on the floor the texture and color were amazing and the leather smell...divine!

 I really wanted an industrial looking shelf for the room.  I found many on line from various sources.  Restoration Hardware had a gorgeous one as well that was over a $1,000.  After paying the price for the desk, everything else needed to be a bargain.  This shelf is from Ballard's Backroom.  I believe it was originally around $350ish and at the backroom price and a sale I think I brought it home for around $120 maybe?  In any case I needed a place to showcase all the rest of the goodies.  On the top shelf are some mercury glass pieces and a wicker covered jar from Home Goods along with my hubby's pewter beer steins.  An old hat box and that other "vintage" (lol) Pottery Barn plane.  The next shelf has one of my favorite finds.  It is an old "stereo viewer" that used gas to make the flame that reflected the image from the mirror to the wall.  I found that at the Columbus flea market in NJ also.  Problem was, we flew that time.  There was no way I was not taking that home.  I found a canvas bag from my mother in law that was big enough to contain it...sort of. You should have seen me going through security with that!  They put it through the X-ray machine a few times!  The security officer guessed what it was pretty quickly...I was impressed and relieved!  It barely fit under the seat in front of me on the plane!  The things I do!  There are two more ceramic glove molds from Trenton porcelain.  The next shelf has a "faux" book press...from Home Goods.  Ya just never know what you will find there!  I was so excited when I saw it!  Of course some old books complete the shelf.  Beneath it is an old typewriter that I found at a consignment store and the pics on either side are of our family... ya know the ones where you dress in "period costumes". In one picture we are basically looking like we are Amish and in the other we are from the old West with my son pointing a gun at me looking quite devilish.  Will reflect on that another time!  Or not!  The frames were a gift of sorts from friends of ours who have an antique business.  Thanks Dan and Rose! The paint was peeling a bit on both of them but by putting a little "Rub and Buff" on them they are as good as "old"!  More antlers...I don't know what to say about that!  The two bottom shelves have baskets that hold hubbies puzzles and books that I will one day use in some project or another.  On the wall on either side are "faux" gears also from Home Goods, a pair of very old photos from my dear "Aunt Bea" taken somewhere in NJ and a pair of "old" wooden clamps.  I did buy them at the flea market for less than $20 for the pair.  Now I did a little research on wooden clamps and there was a company named "Butterfield" that made them.  Although, my clamps do not say "Butterfield"...they say "Buttfield"!  LOL!  I am guessing I have some poorly named reproductions.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the new office.  It was so much fun decorating it.  I was finding so many neat things to put in the room.  Hmm...I need another Steampunk room with a womanly flair!  The ideas are rolling!