The Coat Hallway

 

The first time we walked through Kenilworth, I saw this hallway as a place for our friends and family to hang their coats when they came to visit.  Here is what it looked like when we came that day…

                            

After many months, and other projects taking precedence now and then over the hallway, progress has been made.

I’m happy to say that the hallway is finally finished!  All the coat hooks are in place, ready for you to hang your coat!

    

 

                        There is even a little seat to rest for a minute.  

 

                

 

I made the window shade from an antique sheet I bought a while back.  I loved the hemstitch detail on the edge and thought it would look just right in the hallway.  Its texture is so soft and interesting when paired with the molding, and the ruffled fabric of the pillow on the little seat.

 

        

We bought the coat hooks at Menards in their closet shelving section.  They also have alot of hooks near the drawer pulls and knobs, etc., but we noticed that the price for the same hooks there was almost double what we found them for in the closet area.

It took only a few minutes for Glenn to get them drilled into the wall.  There are 11 hooks –each capable of holding 2 coats – which adds up to a lovely 22!  So at least 22 of you can come at the same time and happily hang your coat on these nifty hooks!

    

 

We can’t wait to have you here…

Closet, Bathroom-to-be, and a Special Delivery

I thought you might like to see the dresser I was working on when we were moving here a month ago. 

                    

 

I found the dresser on CL about a year ago, or so, and always planned to paint it eventually. I love the way the color turned out – our trim paint, of course!

I ended up spray painting around the handles so I wouldn’t have to take them all off.  Then I used a paint brush for the remaining surfaces.  

 

 

The bathroom is still a bathroom-in-waiting.  Meaning that we would rather finish the trim and crown moldings and mudroom cabinets before we do the bathroom.  Since we’re only a few steps from the hallway bathroom and shower, it was an easy decision when Glenn asked me to decide which I wanted to do first.

Likewise the closet will look different – Glenn will build some shelving, etc. – but for now it’s functional.

 

Very functional in multiple ways, as a matter of fact!  I’ll explain now about the Special Delivery.

Olivia and the twins like to deliver their school work to me in fun “mailboxes”.  Alix actually made them a cute little mailbox designed solely for their homework.  They’ve used it, too, but sometimes they’d rather be a little more…secretive.

In the late afternoon yesterday, I went into our closet to get something.  I noticed things looked a little different on the dresser.

                                                             

I took a closer look. 

What was it?! 

Well, apparently Olivia had decided to give me her math facts page as a very Special Delivery.  She took the 2 little angels off of the silver tray that sits on the dresser.  Then she neatly folded her homework into a tiny square, wrapped it in a most complicated manner with the fabric loops from the girls’ little hot pad weaving loom, and leaned it against one of the angels.  The other angel, the praying one, she placed facing the angel “holding” the homework.

I think she was hoping for a blessing on the homework…

It was so cute, I still haven’t graded it, I just like seeing it every time I go into the closet!

Winter Curtains

Although it’s not winter yet – the air is feeling very fallish and nippy at night around here.  For many weeks, in the back of my mind somewhere, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do about curtains for the girls’ rooms.  Their front windows are all old, single pane windows with storm windows.  The storm windows definitely help provide a weather barrier, but since they are very old – maybe from the 70’s? – and most of them are crooked, we’re feeling some drafts!

I looked around at Goodwill a few different times, searching for something I could turn into curtains, but I just couldn’t find anything.  I needed to be able to cover 3 windows in the little girls’ room and 2 in the big girls’ room.  That’s like looking for a needle in a haystack – and really asking just too much from Goodwill.

I decided to turn new blankets into curtains.  I didn’t know exactly what I wanted – matelasse would have been nice, but it’s always expensive – so one day I just wandered through the blanket aisle at Target.

Aha!  Inspiration struck!  Fleece would be perfect for winter curtains, perfect for those drafty windows!  We bought 2 King-size blankets (108 x 108) and after a week or two, I got started.

I laid the blankets on the floor, folded them into thirds, and cut along the folds.  Then I hemmed the long sides that needed it.  I used a utility stitch on my machine that closely matched the stitch that was used on the blankets.  Since some of the long sides were outside edges of the blanket, I didn’t have to hem every single edge.  I made a nice wide casing at the top and decided to do a seam that left a few inches free so that they would ruffle up a little.

After several hours of work (sewing is never as fast as I think it should be) – they were done!

 

              

 

I think they add a nice soft, warm, plush kind of feeling to the room.  What do you think?

                        

 

                     They have a nice drape that folds quietly, and looks inviting to me.

          

 

They were practical, inexpensive (especially compared to buying the same amount of fleece), sturdy, and they’re washable!

                       

 

They are already making a noticeable difference in the drafts around the windows. 

I still have 2 more windows to go, but that shouldn’t take long.  And I may go back later and add some cute pom pom fringe on the inside edges.  But for now, the girls have curtains – and they love them.

When Spring and warm breezy weather rolls around, it will be easy to take our “winter curtains” down, put them in a bin and save them for next winter.