Recovering the Klobo

The IKEA Klobo loveseat is a great little piece of furniture. We've had ours for over 5 years, and despite being clean and tidy folks, the white fabric inevitably picks up stains and spots, especially since we now have a dog (muddy paws!!). It was getting to the point that we had to do something--very embarrassing!

Quickly I realized upgrading to a new sofa was out of the question. A good budget-friendly solution turned out to be recovering the Klobo, as structurally it was still in great shape, it just looked disgusting. So I set out on a mission to find nice fabric for a nice price. I scored at Joann.com with a half-off coupon code. I bought 9 yards (turned out I could have gotten by with 8 but it would have been very close) for a grand total of $45. The hardest part of this undertaking was finding a fabric and at a price we both could agree on. Finally we found a lovely dark grey with a subtle printed texture.

The beauty of IKEA furniture is that they can be easily disassembled. I sewed the more fitted areas (the arms and back) and stapled everything to the underside, then put it all back together. Also, because the Klobo didn't have a whole lot of soft padding to begin with, I added a layer of memory foam (from an old mattress pad we weren't using) to the seat and arms and now it is SUPER comfy!!






















To finish the whole thing off, I got a can of 3M Scotchgard protector for fabric/upholstery to help keep it looking nice even longer.
Does this qualify as an IKEA hack? Either way, we just got at least another good 2 years from our $99 loveseat!

I think these two approve. 

Design Dreaming

As you know, I have been trying to design and carry out plans for our upstairs and transform it into a warm and inviting master bedroom. I have a small chunk of the horrid pink walls painted a lovely sandy beige, but progress had been halted. Over the last week, we have purchased a beautiful bathroom vanity, uber-modern faucet, and white subway tile. I figured it is easiest to put up the wall tile before installing the vanity. After modifying the wall heating vent and ripping up a small portion of the floor, this bathroom project was clearly becoming a big one. But I'm thrilled and excited and motivated.

With this ever-expanding bathroom project, the upstairs plans have been put on hold. But I am eager as ever to tackle it. Here are my ideas:

image from: freshome.com
This is color and feel I'm going for with the wood ceiling. 

While at our local home improvement store, I scoped out the laminate flooring options for the ceiling. There is major square footage to cover, so budget is very important. I found a medium-tone (not too dark) highly variegated option for like $1.50 per square foot.  

Image from: the-brick-house.com

The only lighting we have upstairs is a tiny wall sconce at the top of the stairs. For some romance and drama I want this sexy beast hanging above the stairs. 

I OWN YOU!!!! Yes, I have had my heart set on this rug from World Market for several weeks. Last weekend was a 1/2 off sale so I splurged and it arrived Friday. I absolutely love it and I think it will provide a nice stepping-off point for the design of the rest of the room. Oh, and I think I got one of the last ones because it is no longer available online. I rule. 

image from: krrb.com

Ikea always has a way of elbowing in any budget-conscious home update. A simple, modern, low Malm bed would be perfect for our bedroom. They have a great new color option too: a medium walnut with a more prominent grain.







One of the last projects will be a divider to separate the closet area from the sleeping area. I really like this wood slat number, and it would be an easy DIY. Unlike these folding screens, I would do a permanent built-in screen, as we have sloping ceilings and a brick chimney smack in the middle. I like the slats because it would let light through from the window on the other side.

We're talking a lot of wood (part of the floor will also be wood/laminate or cork) warm colors and texture. With all the ideas and long wishlist I have, we may very well be still working on this next winter. 

Matt and Bobbie's House::::::: Part 2:::::::

BEFORE: the living room wasn't in real dire need of rehab, but the sloppy paint job, dirty & rusted vents, pheasant and evergreen light switch covers, and old front door begged for some love. 

 We had new doors and windows installed throughout the house which helped matters immensely. Some nice bright white paint freshened things up and we spray-painted all the vents. 

Is this the same place? Hard to believe, I know. The hardwood floors through the whole house were worn and dirty. Step one was to rent a floor cleaner (a small version of what janitors use on gym floors) with a scrubbing pad and along with some hot water and special cleaner, we got these babies clean in one day. 

Step two was to sand lightly with a small hand-held power sander to even out the surface and remove superficial marks and scratches. We could have used a large floor sander, but didn't want to ruin the floors since we hardly knew what we were doing. 

Step three: apply one even coat of Golden Pecan Minwax stain. I was amazed by how the stain brought out the character in the wood and just made it glow. 

Once the stain was completely dry (I waited 24 hours to be sure) two coats of polyurethane went on to seal and protect and give even more silky glow and gorgeousness. 

Hmmm...I don't remember that sofa from before. That's because I just bought it! Yes, it hung 3 feet out the back of the Jeep, tied in with 10 feet of rope but I would have carried it on my back if I had to. For $100 at the thrift store, it is exactly what I have dreamed of finding for our new house. It had some ugly brown wood arms but a quick swipe with my jigsaw and they were adios. Hello, gorgeous. 

 Our Expedit now serves as room divider so the front door is not as visible from the living area. 

 The once-pink guest room now looks fresh and delicious. There are still lots of things to unpack, including art, so the pretty white walls remain blank. 

This is the air return vent in the hallway. Completely coated in a thick layer of dust. Enter ShopVac and spray paint. Fixed. 











I will be sharing more as we get more done and continue to have fun with our home. There is an entire upstairs we have grand plans for, as well as the bathroom and my studio. 

I would be remiss not to mention and thank those who have been generous with their time and helped us immensely. My sister put it several solid weekend's worth of work getting a lot of painting done (which I soon grew too tired of), along with my mom who labored over the filthy bathroom floor and in the yard chopping down a forest's worth of weed trees. My amazing in- laws have been more than generous working on anything and everything we needed help with, as well as a much-appreciated shopping spree at Menards.  We are so lucky to have our amazing family. Love you guys, and "thanks" is never enough!!