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So sorry, (not really), to bring it up again, but I've got to talk about the undeniable spark of inspiration that Fall brings. All over social media, television, and magazines in the newsstands, the fashionistas are hitting hard with all the upcoming trends for this Fall. Predictions seem to be heavy in soft, creamy knits paired with various shades of leather. Inspiring? Indeed! But why limit these delicious pairings to fashion?

Such a cozy thought with an edgy twist must have a place in the home, too.

A piece like this works for almost any décor out there, and better yet, is an easy look to replicate!

This piece one start off so cozy but it sure was a tight ride bringing it home with the crew! (best crew around!)

Photo: This is the BEST thrifting crew in the biz, right here! One marvelous mid century piece is coming soon!

This transformation was relatively simple and required two supplies:

Old White Chalk Paint, (check here to find who stocks it closest to you or for ordering info), which I painted on in two solid coats, followed by a single layer of clear wax. I did not distress this piece, but rather left some areas along the sides and top surface a little thinner with the paint, (rather than full, complete coverage). This achieves a warm, weathered look without quite going all the way down to the wood.

And I used one leather belt to make drawer pulls.

To make drawer pulls out of a leather belt, you first need to figure out how long each pull must be based on the distance between your pre-existing holes, (if you don't want to fill those and drill new ones). The last time I did this, I had all the pulls horizontal and screwed in like handles, (piece painted in Chateau Grey mixed equal parts with Old White):

With today's piece I wanted to try something a little different and make tab pulls on the middle drawers.

Don’t ever be afraid to get creative and test new ideas. If you don’t end up liking something, you can (almost) always switch it out; that’s the beauty of DIY projects! For this piece,

I cut 6 x 6" strips of the leather belt, folded them in half, (matching the ends together), and used a drill with a larger bit to screw a hole into the leather. Then I used screws just slightly larger than the hole size and screwed the leather pulls right into the original holes. Finally, I secured the screws from behind the drawer fronts with the appropriate size nuts.

On the cabinet doors I used the pre-existing holes as well. I just measured what was left of the belt, cut it in half, and drilled the holes into the leather just like I did with the tab pulls. I wanted the leather straps to bow out a bit for easy gripping, so I made sure the length of the leather was a couple inches longer than the distance between the holes.

Piece now available for sale
58"L x 32.25"H x 19.25"D
$475

Please contact me if interested! chelseasgarage@gmail.com

I love transferring inspiration from all elements of design, (fashion, graphic, architectural, etc), into the home. It's completely possible to decorate how you dress, if you so desire! As I type this I'm looking down at my paint splattered leggings and baggy tank; it may be better for some not to decorate how they dress. ;) But on a serious note, if you’re not sure what your own style looks like yet, start looking around the web, in magazines, books, and even the world around you for home décor inspiration. Pinterest is a great starting point, and has lots of DIY inspiration for big and small projects. If you want to start small, photos are a great way to instantly freshen up your home. Resources like Shutterfly have fun options for printing and displaying a cute gallery wall, or just some simple wall art!

Tomorrow we get to hear from Cate and it's a good one, (as always)! Thank you so much for stopping by!

~Chelsea

This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Whew! Well we just sailed to Friday, didn't we here. I thought I'd have some more goodness to show you this week but wouldn't you know it, in a span of 5 days we lost AC, hot water, and our washing machine was down. All issues were quickly resolved within a few days and I was so reminded of how extremely fortunate we are that those were our challenges this week. Needless to say, these hiccups put a hold on some of the week's to-do's, (a familiar story to all, I'm sure).

But, I was able to finish one sweet thing to share with you before the weekend!

Hanging Leather Planter

This was one of those quick satisfaction projects. The kind that doesn't suck a whole lot of time or energy from you, but the result is exactly what you had hoped and pictured. Those are so necessary sometimes, yes? I found this camel leather tote last week at a thrift store for less than $8.

If you're into accessories this would be an awesome find! I used to be an accessories girl. Then I had a bunch of kids and they became my accessories... Funny how that happens! I still know a good deal on leather when I see it, though.

I actually bought this tote just to use it for it's leather. The hanging planter is just the first project to come from it, but I've got another that I'm looking forward to sharing soon as well! The first thing I did was lay the tote front-side-down, (with that cute pocket facing the floor), and stick my plant right in the middle of the backside. I needed to make sure that what I cut from the tote would be enough to securely hold my plant, which is on the larger side. Then I set the plant aside, took out a strong pair of scissors, and cut along the perimeter of the tote. I removed and relocated the shoulder straps and the braided pieces along the sides to use for hanging the piece. That's it folks!

The last piece was how to hang my planter. I chose a brushed nickel closet rod hook from Home Depot for $6 because I wanted the plant to hang away from the wall a bit, but there are of course other options depending on where and how you want to see your plant hanging, (from the ceiling, closer to the wall, etc).

If you're fired up to try this yourself, just know that the process and end result will look a little different depending on the bag you use. That's the fun of it, though! I would recommend finding a bag with long-ish shoulder straps so you can cut them down to use for hanging the piece. This is just a simple idea with which to expand on and make it your own! If you happen to try it out please hashtag #chelseasgarage on Instagram or feel free to share photos on Facebook! We LOVE seeing your handiwork!

Thank you all for stopping by and have a splendid weekend!

~Chelsea

This post was published under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.