CasaSugar

Before and After: From Awkward Corners to Splendid Shelves

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 07:00:09 -0700

DIYer Paul Smith spent several weekends constructing shelves for the odd, recessed space on either side of his fireplace. He cut wood to size, drilled, glued, clamped, and painted, and came up with something amazing. Here's what it looked like about halfway through the project.

To see what the shelves looked like afterwards, as well as a gallery of in-the-process photos, read more

Paul writes, "I think the shelves look pretty neat now the front room is painted. We have no idea what to use this room for, it's kind of a spare sitting room."

Pretty neat is an understatement, if you ask me. It looks like a great space for sitting, reading, or socializing. What a lovely change this is!

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Casa Quickie: A Low-Budge Rug

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 05:30:49 -0700

If you're dismayed by the prices of accent rugs these days, or just looking for an inexpensive solution to pull a room together while you look for the perfect one, I have the answer to your problem-o. Stop by a cheap home furnishing store (Ikea, Bed Bath & Beyond, a local outlet) and pick up two or three small cotton rugs, which you can find for $2 to $10. Then, tape or stitch them together to create a larger accent rug, which would normally cost you upwards of $100.

I once took this project into my own hands with some household duct tape and two $7 rugs from a local linen outlet. No, it doesn't make for the most crave worthy rug, but it's a quick, small change that can make a room look a bit more composed.

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