Safe room

When we started talking about building a house, I think we decided that no matter what else we had in the house, we would make room for a safe room.  I am freaking scared to death of storms  have a great respect for storms so I really wanted a safe place to go.  And what I envisioned wasn't a small closet that we would have to scrunch into with maybe one folding chair.  I wanted a place I could just go to sleep in if strong storms were being forecasted overnight.

So our safe room is kind of like an extra bedroom.  We call our house a three bedroom house because the safe room couldn't technically be considered a bedroom since it doesn't have a closet or windows but we really have four useable bedrooms.

This is all of the furniture we had in our guest bedroom in Little Rock.  I don't like the look of the bed, but its comfortable and I couldn't rationalize a reason to buy furniture for a safe room when we already had this.

I wish I could tell you all about the cool doomsday items that are stored in the armoire but its really just a bunch of crap.  I do plan to one day clean it out and put things in there that we would need in case of a disaster.

The door into this room is just a regular door that matches all of the other doors in the house.  But you can see the steel door just outside the room.  You actually have to step through the mechanical room to get to this room.  The mechanical room is also "safe" so we were able to put a more attractive door on this room but still meet the guidelines of a safe room.

One of the other good things about having a room without windows is that Brad works 3-4 nightshifts each month.  So I thought this would be perfect for him to sleep in when he had to sleep in the middle of the day.  But he hasn't slept in here much and I don't really know why.  He sleeps on the sofa in the basement instead, but the drapes don't keep it all that dark in there, so I'm not sure why he prefers it.  But the good news is, I don't have to wash the sheets and make this bed on a regular basis!

On my last visit to the Pottery Barn Outlet, I had a reward certificate to use and decided to get this rug.  I needed something to soften the room and this did exactly what I wanted it to.  The concrete floors seem cold and this warmed it up in there.

I have this photo taken by my friend Dawn hanging above the bed.  It's one of my favorite things in the house and at first I thought it shouldn't be in the safe room.  But I like it in here and this way it won't get destroyed if disaster struck!

I actually like this room a lot.  There is no indication that it's completely concrete and in fact, I have a hard time making some people understand that this isn't just another bedroom.

Thankfully, we haven't had to use it for it's intended purpose.  There were a couple times I gathered some things up to get prepared, but then what was being predicted passed us. But I'm amazed at how much peace of mind this give me.  I say "me" because anytime it's storming, Brad is out on the porch watching it like it's entertainment.

Mudroom bench

I've been trying to figure out what to do in the mudroom for a while now.  At one time I liked the cubbies that you see in a lot of mudrooms but then I saw too many of those and decided against that. 

Something a little less cluttered than the image below is what I have in my head.

We found the bench below at the Pottery Barn Outlet and I think it will be the perfect piece to work around.  

It's the Terra Bench from West Elm and the one we got is longer than the one pictured (ours is 72").  I didn't know there was a cushion available to go with it but I grabbed one at the store that was marked $35 and am going to try to make a slipcover for it.  It's about 3 inches too long but real thin so I think it's going to work just fine.  And the one that's pictured with it is $100.

It reminds me of a very modern church pew! I like the straight lines, but I may paint it.  We didn't pay a lot for it so it won't bother me to do a little work to it!

Another big score at the Outlet!

We recently made a trip to the Pottery Barn Outlet and didn't find a whole lot, but we did get one of the bathroom sink and consoles pictured below!

I don't know if this would have been my first choice if I was paying full price, but I really like it and think it will look great in one of the bathrooms in the basement.  Brad and I both love the really wide sink and were so happy to get this for a little more than 70% off.  There are a couple of scratches on the back of it but that will be against the wall anyway.

I also got a nice king size blanket for about $40.  We will have 2 king size beds in the new house but only have queen beds now, so I don't have any blankets (or sheets, or anything for that matter) so I was happy to get one for such a great price.

Good things come to those who are forced to wait

Remember this post?  The Pottery Barn catalog girl told me to check in August, so for the last two months, I have checked every. single. day.

Well, last night it became available so first thing this morning, I went by the store to order it!  It won't ship until sometime in February but that's fine.  I have one coming to me and that's all that matters.  I'm so excited!  I'm going to use it in the office to organize/display all of my note cards.  

The Jackpot

We went to the Pottery Barn outlet yesterday and got some of the best bargains we've ever gotten!

I knew I wanted a king size bed for the big guest bedroom but didn't really know what I wanted. I had thought about an iron bed because I don't want wood.  I didn't even have a bed on my mind when we decided to go but Brad found the Mendocino king size stuck way in the back for an AWESOME price.  We both really liked it and the price was even better.  We got it for 80% off and it is in perfect condition.

The online description is "An heirloom-quality piece that can be passed on from 

generation to generation, the Mendocino bed is constructed completely by hand."  Sounds good to me!

One thing I did have on my mind was the Calais chair that I mentioned in this post.  On my second walk through, I saw it!  It was also in perfect condition and I got it for right at 83% off!!!  

We were in the car which really doesn't have room for anything, but we shoved it in the back seat and it was fine.

I also got a white coverlet for our bed for pretty cheap and some cute Halloween plates, along with a lot of other stuff that isn't even worth mentioning but we had to have.  It was definitely worth the drive over there.  And the drive back to pick up the bed! (If I'm being honest, I would say it almost wasn't worth the drive back!)  It feels good to mark some things off the list of needs especially when we spent a fraction of what we budgeted for.

Mail

I got this cute canvas and leather mail bucket at Pottery Barn this weekend.  I have the PB credit card so I got it for FREE with rewards from that!!  I'm going to put it in the office and actually use it for mail. 

Now, if I can just get that photo caddy from my previous post, the office will be perfect!

Wish List-The Biggest Wish of All Wishes

I want this floor-standing photo caddy from Pottery Barn SO bad but it's been sold out for months.  I was told by a girl at catalog in June to check in August but it's still sold out.  And I've checked every single day.  I have a very specific place and use in mind for this in the office and can't imagine anything else working.  I found something similar in an antique store once, but truthfully, it didn't really compare to this one.

West Elm Part 2

I went ahead and ordered the bedding from West Elm and already received the duvet.  The shams are on back order.

It's probably not as dark gray as it looks in this picture but I think it will go well with the bed I want from Pottery Barn.

I want this in Metal Gray Washed Linen Cotton which is just a couple shades darker than the bedding.  I think with white sheets, a white coverlet, and maybe some linen thrown in (for color!!) that it will be just the look I want.   Although, the dark legs might be a problem.

Wish List-Random

We found the drafting table above at I.O. Metro and decided we needed it for the study.  It wasn't all that much cheaper than the one at Restoration Hardware, but it's local so there would be no shipping.  I don't go to I.O. Metro very often and it's a little out of the way (okay, not really), but I may have to make a special effort so I can keep my eye on this.

Worse case,  I could get the one at Restoration Hardware.  (Worse case.  Yeah right!)

And I love the stool they have with it.

We liked the floors at I.O. Metro for the basement.  This picture makes them seem a little darker than they really are.

I love the color of the green cabinets (not the style) and want that color for our office cabinets.  I think I want bronze hardware instead of the silver they have.  These are in the Kitchen and Bath Ideas inside Metro Builders Supply.

I want the chair above in linen to go in the office with the green cabinets.  It's the Calais at Pottery Barn and I love it!  It's surprisingly comfy!  I love the color of the legs on the linen covered one.

Random basket

I got one of these GIGANTIC baskets at Pottery Barn last week.  I just happened to be there right after they marked them down to almost nothing and couldn't pass it up.  I got the so-called small one but I had trouble getting it in my car it's so big!  I have no idea what I am going to do with it but I had to get one because it's a giant basket....and really, the possibilities are endless for a giant basket!

Laundry basket

I've had my eye on this super cute laundry basket at PotteryBarn.com for some time and since my friend Meredith gave me a gift card, I decided to order it yesterday!  I think it will look perfect in the laundry room.