Decorating Fun | Operation Home

I feel grown up.

I purchased my first throw blanket.

Are you impressed? 😉

Haha! Seriously, I know it’s not a big deal to most… But to me?? Big Deal.

As resident cheapo in this establishment, I’ve always had issues buying things like this because I felt that they weren’t a necessity. I’ve always admired them, though. I’ve wistfully gazed at gorgeous pics on Pinterest and my favorite blogs and noted these chic throws which, I’ll admit… I pretty much drooled over. Then, I wondered what they cost, ’cause let’s face it. Throw blankets can be pricey.

Time and time again, I’d carry a pretty throw around a store. Let it sit in my cart for an undetermined amount of time as I mulled over whether to part with my precious dough in exchange for this beauteous piece of fabric. And always. I put it back. Returned it to the shelf. The guilt over spending money over something extraneous won out. Every.time.

Now, I’ll admit… I have a few throw blankets. They’re all hand-me-downs though. And none really suit our home as it is now. So, I’ve coveted the newbies. But never allowed myself the pleasure of actually buying one.

Until now.

I found this throw on clearance for $13 at Target. And I was sold. The perfect color with just enough pattern at a STEAL of a price. Done. It goes swimmingly in our bedroom. The perfect compliment to our freshly painted chair and Target-inspired bench…

I love how throws are like the trays of seating.

Need color? Add a throw.

Need texture? Add a throw.

Need softness?? Add a throw.

Need to camouflage greasy toddler fingerprints?? Add a throw.

A good throw can add style and texture to any room in a very non-permanent, changeable way. Switch it up, leave it be. Whatever floats your boat.

So, I did it. I added a throw. And I’m not looking back.

I. Heart. You. Throw. (kisses)

Linked up at: Tatertots& Jello

Howdy folks! So, the last time I posted about Lucas’s Room was when we added a pair of Expedit shelves with a little pop o’ green behind them, which transformed the “play-zone” part of his room into this…

Back then, I stated something along the lines of “next will be shelves between the units”. And I’m happy to say that a whopping five months later “next” is finally here!

This is gonna be more of a “before and after” post rather than a tutorial since I was a bad blogger and didn’t take proper pictures. It all started when I found two shelves on clearance at Target for $4 a piece (marked down from $14.99). They were the perfect size and color (similar to the Ikea white of the units) for the space above Lucas’s toy trunk. So, I possessively shoved them into my cart and chauffeured them home.

I threw a few ideas around for brackets, but in the end, cheap won out. I purchased four of the brackets below from Lowe’s for just over a dollar a pop…

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I spray-painted them gold with leftover spray-paint that I had from when I created my Target-inspired bench. I wanted the brackets to play off of the gold accents on Lucas’s toy trunk…

The pic above was taken about halfway through painting. After the brackets had cured, Joey hung the shelves above the toy trunk, level with the shelves on the Expedit units…

I’ve thought about dabbing the screws with a smidge of gold paint, but really… they don’t bother me that much. Once the shelves were hung, I loaded them up with a few accessories that I’ve been saving for this very occasion…

…A few jugs to play off of the other orange accents in the room, a two-dollar painted mirror from Goodwill to bounce some light around…

…his little guitar that had been precariously teetering in his closet for far too long, a wooden dinosaur that we brought back from Mexico and some model cars (of course). 🙂

Here are a few wider shots…

And just as a reminder of where we started… a before shot taken just after we moved in…

Here’s a pic with the toy chest lid open just to demonstrate our reasoning for shelf placement…

There’s plenty of space for Lucas to rummage about his toys without the shelf crowding the lid.

I’m pretty much loving it. The new shelves provide additional storage and brightness and offer a great space to display larger items that were taking up space in his closet. They also act as a visual bridge between the two Expedit units which makes it feel more cohesive. For a smaller bedroom, I really feel like we’ve made pretty good use of the space for storing Lucas’s toys in easily accessible ways, which in turn, leaves more room for concealed storage in the closet. Win-win in my eyes. Thus, I hereby dub this play-zone complete (for now). 🙂