Gather ’round folks, it’s reveal time !
October’s been all-kitchen all-the time around here, but all that is coming to a close today, with the final piece of the puzzle : the banquettes ! So if you’re sick of it by now, good news, and if you’re jonesin’ for more, hang tight, there’s always the accessorizing to look forward to in the future. I’m shopping the fabrics and pillows right now so we’re still a ways off.
I’m very excited to share these with you, first of all because they’re very cute, but second of all because they’re a fantastic small-space solution. Let me demonstrate :
Here’s the smaller of the two benches we made. The shape is very basic because I focused on the practical side of it, and it’s made of thick MDF so it’s very sturdy. Since this is a studio after all, no potential storage should ever go to waste! So instead of going for pretty legs or storage room on the floor below, we designed it to have a big storage potential under the seat for easy access.
Check out how much I can fit in this thing !! I’m basically getting a second pantry here ! This one is closer to the kitchen and easier to access so I put in extra dry goods and the utensils and tools I use for special meals or for guests. On the other side, under the window, is the bigger of the two :
It’s made to fit perfectly between the walls so it’s hella sturdy … I’m talking dance-party on the banquette sturdy ! Inside this one I stored the lesser used things. You can’t imagine how much space I’ve gained from this. It’s bananas.
Now you’ll notice from their shape, they are actually made to fit into each other to be more stable, so I finally tucked them in :
Ta-da !! Bonus GIF !
Once these gals were finally in their new home, it was time to install the table. My precious, Docksta Table.
Now, once again if you missed it, I bought this baby for 20$… ! That is ludacris my friends.
Ok, I did have to unscrew it as soon as I bought it, and roll the top down the street ( I looked like the kids in old movies playing with a hoop and a stick … what was that about by the way ?) while a friend carried the base, because as it turns out this table is suuuper heavy. Thankfully I have wonderful friends who still say yes to rolling a table top down the streets of Paris for 30 minutes, no questions asked.
I suspect they’re starting to get sick of my shit though… I don’t have a car (*cough* or a license *cough*), and I have a terrible, unrelenting thrifting obsession, so you do the math… I can still count on my brother though, unlike my friends, he didn’t choose me so he’s stuck with me. Poor bastard.
So here she is, in all its 20$- rolled down a street glory. She needs a little love and a whole lotta paint but I’ll be happy to oblige !
It looks pretty damn good all put-together, if I do say so m’self !
Now of course, this is all very white and shiny but that’s not going to stick ! If you remember, this is the plan for this little haven :
I purchased a few yards of purple velvet and wrapped it (poorly) around some foam to see what it’ll look like :
I don’t know if I’ll stick with this particular fabric yet or not, but the color in this space definitely has the go-ahead ! I plan to put down some Velcro along the edges of the seats so they’ll stay in place but can be removed to access the storage. I’ll be working on that and ordering the accessories later on, but for now I’m taking a break for this every-weekend all-consuming month of redoing the kitchen and I’m going to start paying some much needed attention to my living room !
Budget breakdwon :
Sheets of MDF : 105$
So there we are : all done for now, and all under a month, not too shabby ! My life is so much more awesome now with this kitchen. Entertaining is a breeze, cooking is much more enjoyable, and the I can see half of it from my living room (and bed) so it makes me happy every time I look at it !
I hope you enjoyed following along on this cute and super-cheap project. For November I’m switching gears, and sharing a new and exciting project ! I’m renovating my brother’s kitchen and living room over at his apartment and I’ll be bringing you along.
… I know, I said no more kitchens a minute ago. Technically I didn’t lie. It’s a different kitchen … !
Now, prepare yourself, because we’ll be going from velvet and chandeliers to a much more masculine and contemporary style, so if you follow me on Instagram, it might be a bit of a departure ! I’m thrilled to be trying my hand at a different style and, most importantly, I’ll be helping someone realize their vision so it’s all about my client’s style.
Since we’re a team on this project (two handy fellas !) you’ll get more of a full behind-the-scenes, because someone else can actually take pictures ! For my home projects I’m mostly alone, or my hands are full, and I dunno if you’ve ever tried taking pictures of yourself casually painting a wall, but it ain’t easy…
I’ll be layout out the deets next week and showing you the awesome space we’ll be working with.
But mostly, today is finally a great Monday !! It’s Halloween, dammit ! So drop what you’re doing, put on a cool costume and have some fun !
Happy Halloween !
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