swoon! Interiors

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

First off....Happy Valentines Day to all my readers! I feel so fortunate to spend the day with the ones I love, and especially to have my mom visiting all the way from AZ!

After Nana gave this little guy his morning bath, we got right to work on the house.

We prepped all the walls and ceiling for priming by wiping them down and touching up dings and scratches with a little drywall mud.

After that we went through a few gallons of primer(bare drywall sucks that stuff up!). I usually do two coats of primer to make sure it's well covered. Primer is always cheaper then paint!

Things are looking better already and we're nearly ready for paint. I'll try to put together a post of some prepping/painting tips later this week for you. But for now, we're taking a break to do a little shopping!

New doors

2012-02-13T07:15:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we ordered the interior doors for our house from Home Depot. This weekend we picked them up and have them stacked in our dining room, ready to be installed!

Cameron wasted no time installing one of the doors though. Can you guess which one?

Yes, we finally have a functioning bathroom door! And a little (much appreciated) privacy. Even without a door handle or trim, it's a step up from the blanket that's been hanging there for a few years.

So, along with installing all the doors, we need to finish the staircase, then prime and paint a few walls.

Thankfully, my mom is here for a few days and with her help we should make significant progress. Guess that means I'd better get to work. Have a great Monday!

Giveaway Winner!

2012-01-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to make someone's Monday great!
The lucky winner of my Graphic Image Giveaway is......

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Deal!

2012-01-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

While browsing Pottery Barn to source items for a client project, I came across a great deal for our place!

Since we recently finished residing our house, I've been on the hunt for new house numbers.

Well, the search is over.

Pottery Barn Stencil House Numbers

Isn't the cut-out design fun?
At $3.99 a piece and free shipping, it wasn't too difficult to get the husband's approval!

They also come in satin nickel, but I think the dark finish will be a nice contrast against our grey siding.

Now I'll need to do something about the sad little mailbox still propped up against the house!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Graphic Image Giveaway! Today is the last day, I'll be announcing the winner on Monday! ENTER HERE

Bolster Pillows

2012-01-24T05:56:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure Cameron would be thrilled if I caught on to the idea of bolster pillows.
He's less then excited about all my decorative pillows! My arguement that they add color, pattern and texture hasn't convinced him to like them either.

Ever since seeing this picture in a Southern Living magazine, it's been something I want to do as soon as we start decorating our house.

Southern Living

I've come across a few more examples and am really liking the impact a single, large pillow has.

Marissa Waddell Interiors

Southern Living

Little Green Notebook

Do you care for this look? Or do you prefer the mix of a couple pillows?

P.S. If you haven't already, make sure to enter my Graphic Image Giveaway this week!! ENTER HERE

Thrifting!

2012-01-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

You could say it's an addiction. My rapidly growing collection of chairs is almost getting out of hand.
Ask Cameron how many bentwood chairs are stacked in the basement waiting to be repaired. Or about the upholstery projects, or my fiberglass Eames chairs....the list goes on.

Well, I just added two more chairs!

It's just too difficult to walk away from a well designed chair. Especially if it's a good deal or free, say, from the curb or dumpster!

I picked these up from Goodwill on Friday. Yes, I braved the cold and snow to do some thrifting! At $12.38 (not $12.50 or $12.99), they were a pretty good deal. And, they're in awesome condition! I could leave the upholstery as its, but grey tweed + bamboo?? Not the best mix.

I'm crazy about the shape of these chairs and that I found them as a pair. I have yet to decide where they'll go and whether or not I'll paint them when I reupholster them.

In the mean time, a few images of bamboo furniture done right!

All images via Pinterest

Leave them natural or hit them with a can of spray paint? What's your preference??

Speaking of painting furniture, you need to read this post HERE by Emily. Apparently, some think this "trend" needs to be over.

P.S. If you haven't already, make sure to enter my Graphic Image Giveaway this week!! ENTER HERE

Graphic Image Giveaway

2012-01-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

Friends, January is a great time for a giveaway. And I'm oh-so-excited about what I’m about to share!

You may remember I was a lucky winner of some stunning Graphic Image loot that I showed you in this post.

My new guest book is gorgeous, and I am excited for our drywall dust to be swept away for good so that we can get back into entertaining mode. The mini notebook is a fun way to keep my lists organized!

Graphic Image has been fabulous to work with every step of the way and has generously offered my readers the chance to win either a Guest Book OR a 2012 Desk Diary along with a pen to match!

Desk Diary

If you’re a reader, you could be a winner, and you’ll even get to choose your own color. (I think that might be the toughest task: Graphic Image offers so many hues to love!)

Guest Book

Leather Pens

Also, for one month from this date (until February 20, 2012), my readers will recieve a discount of 20% on their purchases from Graphic Image by using the code SWOON at the checkout. Treat yourself or a friend!

To enter my Graphic Image Giveaway:

Visit Graphic Image HERE and leave a comment on this post telling me what color Guestbook or Diary is your favorite.
For a second entry, "like' Graphic Image on Facebook and leave another comment telling me you did so.
Three’s a charm! For a third entry, share this Giveaway through your blog, facebook page or twitter and let me know you did in a comment.

Giveaway is open from now until Friday, January 27, 2012. Will ship anywhere in the USA or Canada.

Fun!

2012-01-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

Speaking of new doors....I am dying to try this out. Who doesn't love an unexpected pop of color?

via

Looks like an easy and inexpensive DIY project to me!
Now how do I convince Cameron?

Keeping it real

2012-01-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

When I posted about our new kitchen, I mentioned being a little embarrased about the "before" pictures. Well, here's something else that is a tad embarrassing...there is not a single door to be found in our house, and it's been that way for 4 years now.

For a measure of privacy, we've hung old blankets over the doorways.

Attractive, I know. So why do I bring this up now?

Well, for one, I realized that I need to get over being embarrassed about how our house looks "in progress" and be brave about sharing the not-so-glamorous side of renovating.

But here's the real reason: Cameron surprised me this past weekend and ordered all the doors for our house! Real doors. The kind that open and close!

On order: molded two panel solid core doors by Jeldwen. (Thanks, Home Depot, for putting them on sale!) I think they suit the style for our old house, while still working with the clean, modern look we prefer. They'll come primed and ready for us to paint in a deep, dark shade similar to our kitchen's lower cabinets. It may be a while before we have new hardware, but I'm hoping to find a simple lever style that's affordable. Who knew hardware can be so expensive?

Weekend projects

2012-01-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday!
We got to work on yet another project this weekend While Cameron was adding a second coat of mud to the closet I mentioned HERE, I started scraping away at the stairs.

They're covered in pretty thick layers of paint and varnish which means I got well acquainted with my heat gun and a knife. What a messy, tedious job!

One thing led to another, and we just decided to tackle the whole area!
Since this house has had mutliple owners (it has been around since 1890!), we can see where they've tried to fix or improve things and sometimes(or usually!)made it worse.

This is the trim in the stairwell, the view coming down the stairs. It's a little chewed up. You may also notice that the ceiling is now lower then the trim. That's due to a few layers of lath, plaster and drywall.
Cameron came up with a good solution and cut back the top layer of drywall where he screwed in a bevelled piece of trim that he can blend in with mud.
Does that make any sense? Likely not. Maybe some pictures will help.

Drywall cut back a few inches.

Trim piece added.

First layer of mud.

Anyways, there's still plenty of scraping and sanding still to do. Once I have all the paint removed, and the stairs sanded, the plan is to paint the tread and risers, but leave the banister it's natural color. It's made from black walnut and is original to the house, which makes it over 100 years old! After the stairs are done and the ceiling and trim is repaired, we are going to start painting the walls! I've been looking at white primer for way too long, so I can hardly wait to pick out colors!

Guest book tradition

2012-01-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my parents did a ton of entertaining and we often had company in our house. I remember that we'd always pull out our guestbook after a meal or before they would leave so our visitors could sign it. As kids we loved to see what our friends would write. Now, years later we still look through our family guestbook and reminisce about visits we had from friends and family. The book is full of memories, jokes, puns, riddles, etc! If you've never had a guestbook, it's something worth having in your home!

Just before Christmas I won a giveaway on Janell's blog, and chose this guestbook (and a little notebook) from the company Graphic Image.

I am so impressed with the quality of these products. This book is their metallic leather (it comes in a few other colors too), it's soft and has a pretty sheen to it.

They'll even personalize their products for you!

I'm excited to start using it-although with a house under construction, we're somewhat limited when it comes to entertaining!

Here's the notebook that came as well.

I'm always making lists, so it's fun to have this tiny notebook just for that! And, it's the perfect size to keep in my already packed diaper bag!

What do you think about keeping a guestbook in your home? Too "old fashion" or is it something you do already?

Closet space

2012-01-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

I think everyone has one of those rooms, or at least a spot in their house where stuff just gets tossed and piles grow. Ours is the little closet under our stairs.

What a mess! I'm pulling everything out today so we can finish mudding and make it into usable space.
I wish it was a little larger so I could try to convince Cam to turn it into something like this:

Via Little Green Notebook (my fav. house tour!)

As fun as a little playroom tucked under there would be, we need as much storage as possible! I've been digging around the web looking for organizing ideas to use. A few I like:

Via

Just some random ideas, we'll see what actually happens though! Anything would be better then the shape it's in right now!

A recap

2012-01-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

So after about two weeks off spent with family and friends over the holidays, I figure it's about time I get back to blogging. I do love this time of year after the busyness of holidays to start fresh, set new goals, and look forward to what the year has in store.
Looking back at the year, it was nice review what we were able to(with help from friends and family)tackle on our house renovation. Here's a recap for you!

In March, my brother Phil came and hung drywall throughout our addition (view that post HERE). My in-laws helped us mud and tape it all. This put our basement, dining room, master bedroom and laundry room a step closer to being finished.
It went from this:

To this:

And back to this:

That's how things happen around here! Actually, Cam spent the last few days cleaning it up so we can finish sanding and get ready to prime.

Then, after waiting for what seemed like forever, we got ourselves a real kitchen!

From this:

To this....

To this!!!

While it's a far cry from being finished (those blue pieces of tape-temporary pulls!), it's a huge improvement! Read more about that journey HERE.

Around this time, we decided to build ourselves some windows! What can I say? We love DIY!

The transom windows we built add height to the walls and a ton of light to the rooms. Here's what they look like from the outside:

(We also added the window near the roof peak so we can turn the "attic" space into a bedroom. More on that soon!)
Once the transom windows were built and installed (more details HERE if you'd like), we started pulling off old siding and replaced it with new engineered wood siding and trim.

Cameron installed a new front door and built an overhang above it, along with a pergola over the front window to diffuse the bright sunlight that comes through in the afternoon.

Then somewhere in the midst of these projects, Cameron managed to take on a side project and completely restore a car. Since we weren't busy enough!

Last, but not least....we wrapped up our summer by bringing home our first child! He's the best addition to our home for sure!

What a busy but productive year! The list of things to do is still pretty big-I look forward to sharing as we continue to work on projects this year!

Free Printables

2011-12-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping to wrap up (Ha!) with wrapping presents today. Cam, Talmadge and I got out shopping last night and finished buying our gifts.
We get to celebrate Christmas twice each year. This weekend with his family, and then after a long drive (prayers appreciated!) all the way to AZ, we'll do it again with my family. I'm beyond excited, since some of my family has yet to meet 3 month old Talmadge, and I have yet to meet my sister's baby. Should be fun!

Anyways, there are tons of really fun wrapping ideas online and I also came across a few free printables that I've been using - Thought you might like them too!

Download HERE

And my favorite....!

Download HERE

Here's a peek at how I've used them...

I tend to use less then traditional wrapping paper for my gifts when I can. Items like tea towels, kraft paper, a vintage scarf, newsprint etc. will do the trick too!

Another chair project

2011-12-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

Out of site, out of mind. Isn't that what they say?
I realised that my latest roadside find has been sitting in our basement for a while. I forgot to show you what I dragged home! It was (or still is) so dirty and covered in cat hair that it went straight to the basement to "air out". It was so bad, that Cameron wouldn't even haul it in for me, he made me do it. Either that or he's too embarrased to be seen picking through someone's trash!

The chair has a great shape to it, and I love the nailhead trim around the legs. I would love to reupholster this in a metallic linen or a soft velvet. My last chair project (below) turned out alright, and I think after the holidays are over I'll be ready to tackle this one.

BEFORE

AFTER

Read more about this chair HERE and the tutorial HERE.

Have you found pieces that someone tossed and given it a second life? I would love to see them, feel free to leave your link in a comment!

Siding! Done!

2011-12-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

Here's an update on our exterior. We've called it finished for now. In the spring we'll do a few things like touch up the paint and finish caulking. Next, we'll start on landscaping and tackle a few other things I'll list below.

But lets take a look back to the beginning when we bought the house, about 4 years ago.

The first thing Cameron did after signing the papers was come by and chop down the two overgrown trees planted right infront of the windows.

That left it looking like this (with the addition of two new windows):

Here we removed the back half of the house-with a skid loader!

We dug ourselves a basement (had we known the amount of water under us, we may have skipped this step!):

Then added back on, giving us a master bedroom, dining room, laundry closet and full basement.

After adding windows and patio doors (see them HERE), we left it alone for a while. It was definately the most frustrating part of this whole house renovation. You can read more about it HERE.

Finally, this summer we went to work on residing!

Easy Hardware update

2011-12-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's my little "how-to" for fixing up some dingy hardware.
You can see the before and after pictures of the craigslist dresser HERE. I loved the campaign style hardware, but it was in sad shape.

The first thing I do when giving furniture a makeover, is remove all the hardware and place it in a Ziplock bag. That way, I am less likely to lose pieces when I go to put it back together. And you can label the bag if you're working on more then one project. Just a little tip!

Obviously these handles needed to be cleaned up if they were to look nice on a freshly painted dresser! I had seen a product used on another blog, and thought this was the perfect chance to try it out.

Janell from www.isabellaandmaxrooms.blogspot.com and www.houseoffifty.com has often used Rub 'n Buff with awesome results. You can see her projects HERE, and HERE. She has some serious DIY talent!

I squeezed a tiny amount of Rub 'n Buff in Antique Gold (picked up from Micheals for under $5.00) directly onto the hardware and rubbed it around to cover the surface. Then I used an old rag to buff it until it had the finish I wanted. If it didn't cover well enough, I just added a little more and repeated the process. So easy to work with. The faster and messier I did it, the better it seemed to turn out! I like projects like that.

What a difference it makes! If brass or gold isn't your thing, there's a a whole slew of other finishes you could try! And one more thing-it is wax based and will stain whatever surface your working on so make sure you put down newspaper or cardboard to make clean up easy!

Storage space! before and after

2011-12-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I picked up this old dresser from craigslist. I paid $20.00 for it (she wanted $40.00), and painted it with Sherwin Williams Jadite in semi-gloss. Now I have a few drawers for storing my art/craft/design supplies, and a surface to rearrange things as I please!

Here it was before (ugly!):

Some sanding, filler, primer and paint action:

And now:

(I think art or a large inspiration board is needed above this to fill in the space.)

Tommorrow I'll show you how I revamped the campaign style hardware! It was super easy and fast!

Linked up at:

Furniture makeover

2011-11-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

How was your weekend? Mine, awesome! Cameron and his parents worked on the siding (almost finished-pictures coming...).
While this little guy napped....

I was able to sand and paint a piece of furniture picked up from Craigslist for cheap. It's going to be used for some much needed storage in my office.

I used Sherwin Williams Jadite in Semi-Gloss. After a final coat of paint goes on today, I'll be able to share before and after pictures.

The real highlight of our weekend was spending Sunday with our friends visiting from Mexico. I'm kicking myself for forgetting the camera to snap some pictures of their adorable girls!

Swooning over...

2011-11-17T12:17:00.000-08:00

Already a fan of the lighting fixtures made by School House Electric, I was excited when a catalogue featuring their new line of furniture, textiles and housewares showed up in my mailbox this morning. It was filled with warm and cozy images-perfect for this time of year.

School House Electric & Supply Co

A perfect mix of rustic, vintage and industrial pieces.

School House Electric & Supply Co

I kind of want to attempt making those ottomans. Using some upholstery webbing, it looks doable!

School House Electric & Supply Co

Pretty and feminine! Loving the gallery wall behind the bed (and the herringbone throw!).

While not inexpensive, you can tell these products are quality and made to last- investment pieces!

A few more things...

Makelike Succulent Poster

The colors in this print are awesome! Succulents are one of my favorite plants too!

School House Electric Clock

Not in this girl's budget, but that yellow!! So fun.

Plenty to look at, and worth browsing I think! Any pieces of their collection you love?

window shopping

2011-11-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

I just came across this print HERE (from Zulily) and I think it's adorable! Although I am still a Canadian, I'd have to say Iowa is now home!

This would look great in little Talmadge's bedroom-when he actually has his own room someday! Ever so slowly I've been collecting things that can be used to decorate a room (I'd say nursery, but he may be too old for that by time it happens.) for him. The vintage look of this print would fit right in!

Are you a fan of online shopping? I am, it's just too convenient and you can hardly beat the prices and selection. I've been using a few of the online sites that offer daily deals. A few of my favorite online sources for finding either kid/baby items or house decor are listed below.

Zulily.com (baby/kid/maternity items)

Ruelala.com (home decor, cooking items, clothing)
For kids there's "Little Rue" events.

Gilt.com (home decor, clothing, kids items)

Jossandmain.com (home decor, cooking items and sometimes things for little ones)

Onekingslane.com (home decor)

You can sign up as a member (free) and then shop from these sites. I usually check the emails they send to see if there is anything that interests me to save time. Anyways, happy shopping!

Exterior lighting

2011-10-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

We've been on the hunt for exterior light fixtures recently. They can be pretty pricey, especially when you need them to be fairly large to get the scale right.

Two fixtures will be installed on the back of the house. Eventually we'll build a deck infront of the french doors and set of windows seen below.

Here are a few that we considered and the one that I think we've narrowed it down to:

lampsplus.com

This one is by far my favorite! Way out of our price range, considering we need two.

shadesoflight.com

This would be my pick and I especially love that it's green, but Cameron's not a fan of the piecrust "ruffle".

wayfair.com/csn.com

This is what they call compromise! It seems to be the one we can both agree on. Which is your favorite?

Exterior update continued

2011-10-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, people would ask us when we were going to move into our house. When it looks like this, it's normal for some to assume that we wouldn't live in it yet. I like the look I get when I tell them we've lived in it for 3 + years now. Rustic is nice, right?

But the "rustic" look is on it's way out! The siding continues to go up and you can see the new pergola and canopy over the door that Cameron built.

We used red cedar wood for the pergola and canopy, topped with cedar shakes. Now I need to find a hanging light fixture, house numbers and a new mail box to complete the look!

The front door was recently replaced since the previous one was pretty beat up and didn't seal properly. I'm itching to paint this one but have been reminded it's not a priority right now!

So, until it is, I've been saving images of colors I like on Pinterest. You can follow me or see them HERE if you like. What color would you choose for a welcoming front door?

Exterior update

2011-10-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's been a little over a month since our little guy, Talmadge, came along! He's growing so fast!

I think it's time for me to get back to blogging a little. At least to update you all on things happening around our house. One thing is for sure, Talmadge is learning to sleep through all kinds of construction noises!

Our focus right now is to get the siding up before winter arrives! It's pretty tedious work! Using various sized boards and moulding, we designed the trim for around the windows and doors. That required priming and painting each piece before installing. We caulked all the nail holes and joints and finished with a second coat of paint. Good thing for family and friends that are willing to help!

My Dad stapling up the house wrap.

Painting some of the many soffit pieces.

My sister, Shyla (right), has an interesting sense of humor. And a pillow under her shirt.
(This was taken about 3 days before I had Talmadge.)

Piecing together the trim work.

We removed the old soffit and fascia (MESSY work! See below...) and replaced it with an engineered wood product, added moulding, then caulked and painted it as well. I am loving the results!

Dad and my brother, Ben, after removing the old soffit and fascia!

Starting to install the new soffit and fascia.

Detail shot with moulding.

Siding progress! Almost done with the back of the house.

Once the trim, soffit and fascia were installed, the siding could finally go up! What a difference it makes-almost looks like a brand new house!

And for fun, here's a reminder of what the house looked like before!

Before: Taken in 2007, after replacing the windows.

Cameron just built and installed a new canopy above the front door along with a pergola over the front lower window. I'll share picture of it soon. You can see more "before" or "during" pictures of our exterior HERE.

Our little addition

2011-09-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's a boy!

Just a few hours old.

Daddy and his boy.

Mommy and Talmadge finally together.

Our little guy was born on September 7th at 9:33AM. We named him Talmadge Wilson Lewis McCalley. It's a big name, but has special meaning to our family. We're so thankful that he's a happy and healthy baby!

As you can imagine, my days are filled with all the usual activity involved in caring for a newborn, and I'm loving every minute of it! That leaves little time for blogging but hopefully in a little while I'll be back at it on a regular basis. For now I just wanted to share the news and a few pictures with my readers!

Bathroom Redo!

2011-08-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, our bathroom went from this...

To this....

I guess a few of the "don't do this while pregnant rules" were broken because I did use a ladder and painted the room myself. Various family members did lecture me, but I just really wanted to get this room put together! I did survive, and I'm pretty sure the baby is OK too!

So you've likely noticed that there are still a few things needing to be done in this room.
-trim needs to be installed.
-a door would likely offer a little more privacy than the blanket that's hanging there now.
-the tub will be replaced (someday).
-there's a serious shortage of storage.
-Some artwork/decor on the walls would be nice too.

And, I suppose I should have run an iron over my shower curtain before hanging it. I hate ironing. You should see my poor husbands shirts.

But, we did get the wall patched where we removed a window (I posted about this HERE), the walls repainted with SW Realist Beige, and the ceiling got a coat of SW Crystal Clear. We also installed the new light fixture and I finally got my shower curtain hung up!

Are you curious to see what this room looked like when we bought the house? It was covered with peel and stick tiles. Ceiling. Floor. Walls. Do you know how fun those are to remove?? Not very.

I should mention that my mom has been here all week helping us get things ready for the baby that's due in less then two weeks! Over the next few days, I'll share some of the fun we've been having along with the other progress that went on this past weekend.

Kitchen appliances!

2011-08-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

While they served us well enough the last few years, I won't be too sad to see them go.

(it's filthy only because it's been sitting out waiting to be hauled away...)

That's because our old hand-me-down, make-do, temporary appliances are going to be replaced with these guys:

They're being delivered and installed this afternoon. I can hardly wait to have a gas range to cook with!

We purchased them through Sears. They will price match any of their local competitors and then give you a further discount of 10% of the price difference. That makes for a pretty good deal!

Will post some pictures when they're all in place!

UPDATE:
Here are the new appliances in place!

Eventually we will instal a hood over the range and a dishwasher to the right of the sink.

Pantry wall.

E Client Sample board

2011-08-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

How about some fun pattern and color to kick start your week?

One of my E-Clients is kindly allowing me to share a sample board I did for her dining room. You can see a glimpse of that room in the top right corner below. While she already has a beautiful older home, she wanted to update the traditional style and inject some color and excitement into the space.

I'm very excited to see the results later this year as she plans to work on this space in the fall.

If you're interested in my E-Design Services, email me and I'd be happy to help!

Transom Windows

2011-08-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

While they still need to be leveled, squared and actually fastened in place, I'm happy to report that the transom windows are in!

Master Bedroom

When Cam originally told me he planned to build them himself, I was a bit sceptical. Who builds their own windows? They turned out really nice and I love the extra height and light they add to the rooms.

Dining Room

There's still a cement mixer in the dining room. If it didn't weigh a ton, I would have hauled it out a long time ago. Maybe it'll happen this weekend, since we need to clear out the room so the last coat of mud and a final sanding can take place.

View from Master Bedroom into Dining Room

Once we get to adding trim to all the windows and doors in the house, here's the plan for painting them.

You can read about those ideas in a post I wrote a while ago HERE.

Kitchen update

2011-08-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's a picture of the newly installed counter, sink and faucet!

I love, love, love all of it! The counters have a bit of sparkle and shine to them which contrasts nicely with the matte finish on the cabinets. I'm so glad we went with an extra deep (10") sink-You can hide a lot of dishes in there! The industrial style faucet reminds me of my highschool days working with a cook at in fun restaurant and adds a modern style to the kitchen.

There are still a lot of little (and big) things left to do before we can call the kitchen finished, but I'll keep you posted as we make progress!

Windows and such

2011-08-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

I'm crossing my fingers that the guys show up as scheduled this morning to install our countertops! While it's been fun the last few weeks hauling dishes upstairs to wash in our bathroom sink, a functioning kitchen will be nice!
In the mean time, I was left with a nice size To-Do list! Tonight we want to install the transom windows we built last week, so I need to complete the last few steps to get them ready.

The stops need to be sealed in place with polyurathane and then nailed to the casing. Once that is done, the exterior frame will be primed and painted white to match the trim that goes around it.

It'll be nice to have this completed since it's holding us back from installing the new siding and finishing the drywall in the addition. I should have pictures of such progress in the next few days, and hopefully an update on the kitchen as well.

Weekend Plans

2011-07-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's post showed you a bit of a project we've been working on this last week or so. We're hoping to finish it this weekend so we can clean up and move on to the rest of our To-Do List.

The dining room and master bedroom in the addition is pretty well lined with windows and we wanted to add transom windows above them. The only problem with that is to purchase them the size we need is considered custom, and therefore very expensive.

If you can see past the mess, the transom windows will go above these windows and patio door. Yes, that's a cement mixer, miter saw and a few cupboards in my dining room!

Since the transom windows will be fixed (don't open and close), our solution was to have a glazier cut double panes of insulated glass to the size we needed. This might be taking the DIY thing pretty far, but it's saving us a lot of money!

Now our job (or Cameron's, for the most part) is to build the casing and stops around each of these windows.

Plenty of measuring, cutting, routing, glueing, nailing, etc. left to do, but it'll be worth it when it's done! Hopefully next week I'll be able to take pictures of the finished project to share.

And just for fun, here's a (not so flattering) reflection of me that Cameron caught. Could I get any bigger? I still have 5 weeks of growing left to do!

Busy!

2011-07-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

A few pictures to give you an idea of the kind of things happening around our house.

Keep in mind we have a baby due in five (!!!) weeks. That being said, we're scrambling to try to get some projects knocked off our to do list.
I'm sure you can imagine the kind of "nesting" I get to do. It usually amounts to sweeping up drywall/sawdust and shuffling lots of tools around!

All of the crown molding on the kitchen cabinets needed putty applied and sanded to fill in the corners and finishing nail holes.

We used Elmer's Wood Filler and pushed it in the spaces that needed to be filled. It's easy to do and can be smoothed over with your finger. After it dried we went over it with a find sand paper and then used tack cloth to remove the dust before painting.

Once that was done, we taped around the mouldings and hung plastic over all the upper and lower cupboards to avoid getting overspray on them.

Here's where Cam's autobody experience and tools came in handy. He used his paint gun to shoot all the mouldings, along with a couple of drawers that had a few scratches. It's really the ideal way to paint a lot of things for a nice smooth finish.

All the cabinets were painted with a product called Catalyzed Lacquer. It's a commercial grade paint that dries to a matte finish. Most cabinets have to be painted with a glossy finish to hold up to the wear and tear they take, but I love the modern look I get with this product. The matte finish also helps hide nicks and scratches that are bound to happen.

Now that we finished up those touch ups, I am slowly getting things organized in the kitchen. We're told that our counters and sink will be installed next week! Then we'll have a functioning kitchen!

Here's the other project that we're working on now. Can you guess what we're up to?

I'll share the rest of this project tomorrow. All in the name of saving money!!

Roman Shade

2011-07-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

I'm wanting to turn some pretty fabric into a roman shade for our kitchen window. I love the tailored look of a roman shade. Plus, it would add a nice amount of color and pattern to this space.

This fabric was purchased months ago from a remnant bin for less then $3.00/yard. I love the minty green color and graphic pattern. Reminds me a little of the caning you see on furniture.

My issue is that I've never sewn a roman shade before and am a little intimidated by it.
I came across a tutorial by Martha Stewart HERE.

It seems a little complicated for someone as inexperienced as I am with sewing. Have any of you tried sewing one, or come across a good tutorial? I would love to know!

Faucet - our pick

2011-07-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

So here's the faucet we ended up choosing. It's similar to the first option I showed in THIS post. The only difference being the inner coil isn't black.

We ordered it from Overstock.com because they have the best prices, and I had a 10% off coupon! Who doesn't love a good deal!

It should arrive any day and be installed next week when our countertop arrives. It'll be nice to have running water and a usable kitchen. Not that I mind eating out a few nights a week!

Kitchen Install

2011-07-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few shots of the kitchen as it was being installed. There's still clean up to do (sawdust!!) and some touch up work. The finishing nails in the molding need to some putty and paint and then we can put the doors back on. They just click into place, so it won't take much time at all.

It's also hard to use our kitchen just yet, since there won't be a functional sink until we have our countertops in place.

But...I'm am LOVING how it turned out! I'll keep you posted as things continue to happen.

Toe kick register needs to be painted black. Cabinet next to the window is lighted with a glass front. Range & hood will be placed on this wall.

Dishwaser will be to the right of the sink. Microwave goes in the bottom of the corner unit with flip up shelves. Two floating shelves will be installed next to corner unit.

Pantry wall with lots of storage! Try to ignore the ugly old fridge!

Full extension rollout drawers in the pantry.

Coffee bar in dining room.

So there you have it! That's where we're at right now. Still lots to do to make it a pretty and usable kitchen, but I think we're off to a good start!
See the kitchen progress:
BEFORE
SAMPLES
LAYOUT DRAWINGS

Countertops!

2011-07-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

While I can hardly wait to show you our new cabinets (being installed while I type!), I do have a few pictures for you of the granite we're using for countertops.

Yesterday, a visit was made to the shop that will be cutting and installing the counters. I had a chance to snap a few pictures of our massive granite slab.

This granite is called Kashmir White. It's one of the few light colors of granite available. I love the soft grain and shades of grey that run through it.

Here's a close up that shows you the grain with shades of black, grey and tan.

They are coming Monday after the cabinets are installed to take final measurements for the template. I'm also getting to help layout the template so I can choose what parts of the granite I want used. Should be fun!

Kitchen Before...

2011-07-13T23:17:00.000-07:00

Alright, here are the before pictures of our kitchen. Nice eh?

I'll admit, I've been sort of embarrased by it. It was a really ugly "temporary" set up that we lived with for the last few years as we worked on everything else in the house. You need insulation, wiring, plumbing, drywall and a million other things before you can put in a kitchen.

It served us well enough, but I'm SO ready for the upgrade to things like cupboards, drawers and countertops!

Tommorrow, I'll share the progress as cabinets are installed...Stay tuned.!

P.S. Here's the real original kitchen-before we moved in. Gross.

Lighting Solution

2011-07-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

We have installed several recessed lights (all on a dimmer) in our living room. This was done a few years ago when we were running all the electrical though out the house. But some plans have changed since then.

Initially, we wanted to have a fireplace in the room but after living in the space for some time, feel it will take up too much room. This decision throws off one of the recessed lights that we installed to be centered over the fireplace. So I had to come up with a solution, since it isn't something that can be simply removed.

My plan is to use either a recessed light adapter or purchase this fixture from Ballard Designs. That way I can have the light fixture suspended from the ceiling over a seating area that will be (eventually) set up in our living room.

Recessed Light Adapter-Home Depot

The benefit of the adapter is that I can use any light fixture with it, so the options are unlimited.

I do like the fixture from Ballard Designs, especially with the Seagrass Shade. It's also on sale for a very reasonable price.

But first, we need to finish sanding the ceiling(since we scraped all the texture off), then prime and paint it.

Until we do that and I can show you the finished results, take a look at how Janell from Isabella and Max Rooms has done this with awesome results!

Via Isabella and Max Rooms

On to the faucet

2011-07-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Since our new sink is on the way, we have been looking at Overstock.com for a faucet to go with it. No point in having a brand new sink and no water right?

A few that have caught our eye and would suit our kitchen:
Which one do you like best?

My criteria for the faucet was that it had to be a single handle, pull down spout and I don't want a soap dispenser installed with it in the countertop. I prefer the clean simple look of just the faucet on it's own. Picky aren't I?

Another thing about the sink. A blogger I recently came across at Just a Touch of Grey tells me that they have purchased the same sink, and love it! Yay for good reviews!
(by the way-make sure to look at her living room makeover-it's awesome!)

Upgrades!

2011-07-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

This week is off to a good start! Cameron and his dad stapled up the Tyvek (house wrap) so we could start putting trim up soon. Around 5 AM this morning we were awakened with severe weather sirens going off and looked out to see most of the Tyvek had been blown off. Poor Cam, he ran out in the pouring rain and stapled it back up-only to wake up an hour later and see that the same thing happened AGAIN! Hopefully, this time it stays! How's that for a Monday?

Anyways, there should be lots of activity to write about this week. We're getting things ready for the kitchen install on Wednesday (!!!!).
This weekend, I was pretty excited that we found and ordered a new kitchen sink. We started out pricing an undermount, stainless steel, single bowl sink at all our local big box stores and couldn't get over how expensive they were. Most of them were in the $500.00-$1000.00 range. Crazy. So I did some searching on Overstock.com and came across this one for a fraction of the price!

I'm pretty sure we'll be getting a faucet from them too. They have an awesome selection and you can't beat their prices!
We've been using the (gross) cast iron sink that was in the original kitchen. Here's what this sink will be replacing:

I'd call that an upgrade for sure!
Have you come across any great deals on Overstock.com before? Or do you have other online sources you go to for good prices and selection?

Architectural Salvage

2011-07-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

Today I'll be taking a break from doing this...

(A task that doesn't seem to have an end in sight!)

....to do some shopping! There are still stacks and stacks of trim (exterior) in the garage that need to be painted, but they'll have to wait.

I'm making a quick trip to Des Moines to pick up tile that I came across at West End Architectural Salvage.

I was there for the first time a few weeks ago, and forgot to bring my camera. If you like vintage or the industrial look, this place is so worth visiting! This time I'm hoping I'll remember to take some pictures and share my favorite things they offer!

Kitchen!

2011-07-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

You know what these are, right?

You're looking at my new kitchen! I can hardly believe they're here. I'm about to have a real kitchen!

This past weekend, Cam and his Brother-in-law David, made a trip all the way to California (more on that later) and brought home our kitchen cabinets. Thanks guys!

Thankfully they made it home with no incidents, and Cam was very impressed that our Trailblazer pulled the 14 foot trailer "like a champ."

We managed to unload them all yesterday. It took a good part of the day to do, since the 7 months pregnant helper tends to move ~~a little~~ very slow. There were about 3 pieces that were way to big for me to lift. So we called up his other Brother-in-law Jimmy, to help out with those. I think our family will be happy when our house is done and we don't have to pester them for help!

The nice part? We don't have to deal with the task of installing them. Next week, the owner of the company (and family friend) that built these will be here for a couple days to do that for us.

Here's a close up of the lower cabinet color. We had them lacquered in Benjamin Moore's Ebony King. It's a deep blue-black shade, and I love how it turned out!

I can't wait to show you the before and after pictures once these are all installed and our kitchen finally starts to come together. We still have a lot of work to do this week: clearing out our temporary set-up, and a final sanding, priming and painting of the walls and ceilings. Make sure to check back to see the progress!

kitchen colors, materials and decor!

2011-06-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek at a few of the elements we plan to use in our kitchen.

The countertop is granite in Kashmir White. With our lower cabinets being a dark grey and the upper cabinets white, I think this counter will tie the two colors together.
And that fabric? I'm planning to sew it into a roman shade for over the sink. I think I paid $3.00-$4.00 a yard for it. Got to love those remnant bins!
I want to install the light fixture you see in here above the sink. It came out of a local Quaker Oats Factory and only cost me $20.00 thanks to Craigslist.

And then there's this little piece of pottery.

It came from an amazing pottery/gift shop on Ocracoke Island. We spent part of our honeymoon there and Cameron bought it for me. I was showing it to him last night (it's been packed away while renovating) and he asked me if there was only one. When I reminded him of how poor we were when we took that trip, he laughed and said he was surprised that he even bought anything!
Needless to say, I'm pretty attached to this bowl and can't wait to have a spot on our open shelving to display it. I also love that the color works perfectly with the window fabric. Yes, I get excited about those little details!

Exterior progress and plans

2011-06-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

It almost looks better without any siding then it did with the old siding. It was in pretty rough shape!

We finished tearing it off and cleaning it up yesterday. Cameron wouldn't let me near the ladder. I guess that's not allowed when you're pregnant!

Now we're hoping that the weather cooperates until we can get the new siding up.

This image below is our inspiration for the new overhang we're going to install.

Via

The original one we had was closed in and felt too heavy. I like how the one here is open and that the wood brings in some warmth. It should provide a nice contrast to our grey trim.
We may build a pergola in front of our window as well since the direct sunlight that comes though there is so bright. This will help diffuse the light and add some dimension to the front of the house.
Still so much work to do!

New and improved!

2011-06-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

You may notice that when I post anything about our house, it tends to do with either construction projects or decorating that I would like to do in the future. It doesn't make much sense to put money into decorative things until the basics are in-cabinetry, flooring, trim, doors, etc.
Imagine my excitement when we made an exception to that this weekend!

During a quick visit to TJMAXX on Friday, I took a stroll though their lighting section and crossed paths with this deal:

A Ralph Lauren Home chandelier that retails for $470.00, marked down to $50.00! I quickly scooped it up, put it on hold and waited until Cameron got home from work. At that kind of price, he didn't even need any convincing. His only request was that it be installed right away to avoid having it damaged with all the renovating chaos that goes on in this house. I didn't have a problem with that idea!

It's the perfect size for our stairwell. The ceiling here is really high and so to get the proportions right, the light fixture needed to be pretty big.

We also opted for a large Edison style bulb, since the regular ones would look silly in this fixture.

In the future, it would be fun to change it out with one of these from School House Electric:

Installing this light wasn't the easiest task, but we managed to get it up without any incidents. Our house was built in 1890, and you know how old houses tend to have narrow and very steep staircases!
Here's how the "ladder" was set up:

Cameron stood on the chair to hook up the wiring while I was standing on the plywood holding the fixture in place. Not something I would recommend trying at home!

Anyways, I'm happy to have one fixture go from this:

To this:

A little improvement, wouldn't you agree?

Kitchen Drawings

2011-06-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

In January I posted these inspiration boards to give you an idea of the look we're going for in the kitchen. It looks like we may actually start making some of this a reality next month!

This week we ironed out the final details for the cabinet layout. Here are the drawings that show you how the room will be laid out. Keep in mind it's a pretty small kitchen. We've been living with a "temporary" set up since we moved into the house. All our current (hand-me-down) appliances are located where the new ones will be in the finished kitchen which gave me a good idea of how the final set up would feel. Even without any counter space or cabinets yet, I can tell it will be an efficient kitchen when it's all said and done.

I'll be sure to share all the progress next month!

The scoop

2011-06-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

It's been awfully quiet on this little blog of mine! I suppose an update of sorts would help explain why.
Here's what the last 6 + months have looked like around these parts:

What does a car have to do with our house?? Well nothing except that it ate up most evenings and weekends since December!
Before Cameron finished school and started working as an engineer, he ran a body shop from home. This was the last project he had commited to and at some point it had to get it done.
Hours and hours of time and effort went into taking it from this:

To this:

I tend to ~~willingly offer my help~~ get dragged into these projects. More for the moral support then actual help, I think.

But finally, it's back to work on our house! Siding is being ripped off and hauled away making way for new siding(it's been sitting in our garage for months!).

We decided to use an engineered wood siding called SmartSide in a light grey finish.

All of the trim will be a nice crisp white for a modern and fresh look on this very old house. The overhang above the door will be replaced with something a little nicer. And, if I can talk someone into it, the front door will be painted a crazy, bold color.

Inside, there has been some activity too! My inlaws took pity on us and have spent many evenings at our place mudding and taping while we worked away on the car. Bless their hearts!
At this point, any sort of progress is a very good thing since there'll be another addition added to our home in September!

Bathroom plans

2011-04-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

This week started out with a trip to Des Moines for some shopping. A client/friend and I were able to stop in at World Market and both came out with some goodies. I had looked online at World Market a few times but because of distance, hadn't had a chance to visit in person. A few things for my bathroom made it home with me and helped pull together a color scheme.

Here's a sample board of some of the things I bought, along with ideas to be incorporated. You can see most of the colors I plan to use were pulled from the new towels.

Both the bathmat (I love that it's round!) and the towels are from World Market. You can find them HERE and HERE in various colors.

A light blue paint color would look nice on one of the walls (or maybe the ceiling) to brighten things up. Then I need to find some yellow accessories and some sort of shelf for storage and display. A light fixture needs to be installed above the sink, so I've been browsing one of my favorite sites, LampsPlus.com to find one.

In the long run, the pedestal sink we have needs to be replaced with a vanity that offers some much needed storage. I'm also trying to convince Cam that a new tub is needed. We should have removed it when we started renovating, but figured we could live with it. Bad idea! Whoever installed it did a horrible job. The faucet is placed so high that water splashes and runs all over making a mess. That and some scratches and minor cracks makes it a candidate for a replacement. I would love to have a new tub and tile the walls instead of the surround that we have now. It won't happen for a while, if ever, but I can still hope...

Favorites

2011-04-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

Have you seen West Elm's new line of kitchen items? It's great that most of these pieces are under $10.00!
Some of my favorites:

Modernist Bowls and Mugs

Sunshine Tea Towel

Pop Color Measuring Cups

Porcelain Salt and Pepper Shakers

Mediterranean Parfait Cups

I don't limit pretty bowls and mugs to just food use. They come in handy for storing or displaying everyday items. Keeping a dish on the secretary inside our front door is the perfect place to throw keys, smaller bowls hold paper clips and push pins in my office. Coffee mugs keep pens and pencils together, or once in a while, display a few fresh flowers.

powder room

2011-04-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

It's usually hard for me to walk away from a clearance item (at least decor related ones), even if I don't have an immediate use for it. A perfect example: I crossed paths with this wallpaper at least 3 years ago. At $9.00/double roll, it needed to come home with me. Good thing, because it's about to be put to use.

Shand Kydd Whitehaven

My sister-in-law has been redecorating and wanted ideas for a small powder room on their main floor. She tends to be drawn to warmer colors and has painted adjacent rooms with deep reds, tans and golden yellow. When I brought this roll of wallpaper over, we both agreed it would be just what the room needed.

One wall will be treated to this bold, oversized floral paper. The rest of the room, a fresh coat of paint. Most likely a shade of tan pulled from the metallic accents in the paper.
We're also looking for a mirror with an interesting frame so we can paint it to coordinate with the new color scheme. A few accent pieces-towels, candles, art, etc. and it's done!

While going over our plan, we talked about those decorating "rules" that many try to adhere to.
Painting a small space a bold or dark color is a common one. So is the myth that all wallpaper is outdated. Here's a project where both those rules are being tossed, and I think the results are going to be awesome.

Keep and eye out for the before and after!

2011-04-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Way back in October I posted about a set of dining room chairs that needed a makeover. You can read about that post HERE.

This week I got around to working on them. Finally.
So far they have been lightly sanded and coated twice with primer.

Sherwin William's Adhesion Primer is living up to it's reputation. I was worried that the dark stain would bleed though. While it did show though after the first coat was applied, the second coat did the trick.

Using a regular paint brush with this project didn't cut it. It resulted in the fun task of sanding out brush marks and lots of paint drips.

The solution? A couple of cheap foam brushes. For 50 cents, they work wonders.

Once all of the chairs are primed, they'll be painted a light cream color. I'm also considering experimenting with glaze, since these chairs have seen some wear and tear with their age. Maybe it will enhance their "character". I have yet to try glazing anything, so if you have any advice, I'm all ears!

Spring Desktop

2011-03-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

We finally upgraded our computer! I'm happy to have something a little more efficient then my little sister's old laptop! I prettied up the nice flat screen with a free download from my favorite artist, Geninne. You can get your own April calender if you'd like HERE. I love the spring colors and cute little bird image!

Think Spring!

2011-03-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, here's a spring-inspired bedroom inspiration board. Who wouldn't want to wake up to this kind of color? I can't get enough of it.

Sources: Flowers, Area Rug, Bedding, Pillow, Paint Color, Pulls, Dresser, Lamp, Fabric, Fabric.

Bathroom upgrade

2011-03-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Ever since washing and shrinking our current shower curtain, the hunt was on for a replacement. Not only is the curtain too short for the tub, it's white. Not a good idea when the house is under renovations and my husband likes working on cars. It didn't stay white for long.

Well, here's the replacement! Isn't it pretty?

I had seen it on display but kept walking when I noticed the price tag. For a shower curtain? Really? 50 Bucks? No thanks.

Quite a while later I was at the same store with a friend and noticed a clearance sign near the pretty green curtain. There were no markdowns noted on this item, nor were there any left... except for one on display. I quickly found a salesman and inquired about it. Here's what he came back with:

Doesn't hurt to ask, right? I can handle $15.00!

Today I'm adding a second coat of drywall mud where we removed a window (it had to go when we added the addition).

After some sanding and painting, I'll put the new curtain up and share the before and after pictures. When I say before, I'll show you what this room looked like when we bought the house. Scary!

Canada

2011-03-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

As a teenager, while most girls my age were into fashion magazines, I had yearly subscriptions to my favorite (Canadian) magazines: Style at Home and Canadian House and Home.
I still love them just as much as I did years ago! Unfortunately, a subscription in the US costs almost double....which doesn't fit my budget. You can bet though, that every visit I make to Canada means the latest issues come home with me.
Having made a quick trip there recently, here's something that caught my eye in the March issue:

Via

Ordinary and inexpensive hooks get a coat of bright yellow spray paint. How quick and easy is that? I would use them to hang towels in a bathroom, on a closet door for your ensemble du jour, or an entrance way for scarves, purse and jacket.

While it's not the same as reading a glossy magazine, there's still plenty of ideas to be found browsing their sites. If you haven't already, take a look at them here:

www.houseandhome.com

www.styleathome.com

addition progress

2011-03-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I admit I've been slacking on posting, and I won't bore you with excuses! Instead, here's a little update of the ongoing remodeling.

Last week my helpful, hardworking and talented brother Phil made a visit. He made me a very happy girl by installing drywall in our basement, dining room and master bedroom!

A reminder of what it looked like after being framed.

And then theres the pileup of tools, materials and who-knows-what-else that accumulated between times.

Not to worry, it doesn't look like that now!
Here are a few shots of the rooms that were worked on.

Basement

Master Bedroom

Dining Room, Basement Stairwell and Laundry Closet

Mudding and taping has yet to happen, and I'm still trying to clean up the dust that has found it's way into every room of our house! At least we're one step closer to being done.

2011-01-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

The fact that we're even talking about ordering cabinets has me thinking non-stop all things kitchen-related! Here are a couple of idea boards that share some of the things we want to include in our new kitchen.

Dreaming...

2011-01-20T05:58:00.000-08:00

Someday, I'll swallow my pride and share some pictures of what our "kitchen" looks like in its temporary state.

Those who know me best know that I love to cook almost as much as I love to decorate. So, living with temporary appliances, no dishwasher and no cupboards has been challenging to say the least. Thankfully, we're currently procuring quotes for cabinetry, so that serves as tangible hope for a REAL kitchen in the near future!

Because the plumbing, gas and electrical needed to be installed in their permanant locations when we first started to tear the house apart (3+ years ago!), I designed the layout for our little kitchen then. Perhaps surprisingly, I'm still happy my original vision. While it is and will always be a tiny kitchen (a mere 130 square feet), it is efficient with a capital E. And, I hope it will be even more so once I have cabinets and an extra few linear feet of counter space!

For now, here are a few images that have served as inspiration for my future cabinets. Notice how they all have a grey finish in common? I'm pretty stuck on this look. Dark grey lower cabinets along with white upper cabinets...what do you think?

Via

little changes

2011-01-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

This past summer I sewed a couple of pillows for our bed.

Who doesn't enjoy switching things around now and then?

The best part is that I hardly spent anything. Those large trellis patterned pillows were from the Salvation Army, brand new in original package for $3.00. The felt white pillow I found in the clearance aisle at Target for a little over $3.00.

My favorite pillow, front and center, is new! I recently won it on a giveaway that Emily had on her blog. It's made by a Canadian (Yay!) company called Milk and Cookies. They have a awesome selection of pillows worth taking a look at. Here are a few of my favorites:

Maybe this will serve as a bit of inspiration for you to make some quick and easy changes to freshen up your home for the new year. If you're in need of ideas, contact me for a consultation. I'd love to help!

Winner!

2011-01-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who took part in my fabric giveaway! I'm very excited to have new readers too!

Using the Random Number Generator, a winner was selected!

Congratulations! - Email me with your final selection of either #1 or #3 and your mailing address and I'll send the fabric to you!

Holidays

2010-12-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hope all my readers had a Merry Christmas! I escaped Iowa's snowy, cold weather and am enjoying some sunshine in AZ with my family. We're all heading to Mexico tomorrow for a little vacation together.
I'll be back next week with some projects to share! In the mean time, don't forget to enter my fabric giveaway HERE.

lots to do

2010-12-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

Do you obsessively write lists? I do. Sometimes lists of lists. Why not another one?

Head to Marta Writes blog to download this cute To Do List for free.
What a fun way to keep track of accomplishments!

This one's for the coming year and covers some of the minor DIY projects I want to tackle. I say minor because Cam and I have a few major ones that I really hope we are able to accomplish (think siding, kitchen installation, flooring, drywall...apparently these major items need a list of their own!).

1. Sand and paint thrifted dresser.
2. Finish mudding patched bathroom wall (we removed a window).
3. Hang new shower curtain (more about this one later).
4. Clean up and paint set of vintage Eames chairs for the office.
5. Decide on style and fabric for an upholstered headboard, and then make it happen!
6. Sew drapes for the office with some fun chevron fabric.
7. Say farewell to the bare coat of primer on various walls. Hello, color!
8. Strip the thick old paint off staircase. Do I have to?
9. Install shelves in the linen closet. (OK, this is really on Cam's list.)
10. Source art and photos to display in each room.
11. Refinish Tulip table with a coat of paint and a new top.
12. Attempt to re-cane a bentwood cafe chair (road side find).

Seems like I have my hands full, but I can't wait to make some checkmarks on this list. What's on your to-do list in the year ahead?

Giveaway

2010-12-20T06:16:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the Season, I raided my stash of fabric and decided it's a good time for a giveaway!

Up for grabs are two yards of any of the following fabrics.

Simply become a follower (if you are not already) and leave a comment telling me which is your favorite and how you would use it. For an extra entry, link to my giveaway on facebook, twitter or your blog. Leave me another comment telling me you did.

Option 1.

Option 2.

Option 3.

Option 4.

Option 5.

All fabrics are upholstery quality and large scale prints. I will ship to the US or Canada! Giveaway ends January 3, and I'll announce the winner shortly after.

Also, Jenny from Little Green Notebook kindly posted my Upholstered Chair Makeover and Tutorial. Be sure to take a look at her site! She has an awesome blog - a daily read for me!

Lucky find

2010-12-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

I picked this piece up while out thrifting with my sister-in-law. You can be sure it made my weekend!
It's solid (even the drawers are tongue and grove oak construction), has sweet bamboo detailing that I just can't get enough of, and was the right price at $40.00.

So, you guessed right that it's already getting a makeover. Notice the missing hardware, the yucky drawer lining, and someone else's first attempt at painting? It's all about to change! I can hardly wait to get started so that I can share the "after" pictures!

Nature Inspired

2010-12-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

When there is snow in the air, like today, a wonderful memory from last winter jumps clearly to mind: visiting my sister prior to her (beautiful!) wedding in Northern Ontario, Canada. Cold? Yes! But it wasn't the sub-zero temperatures that left me breathless. It was the scenery: tall spindly birch trees stretching skyward from the snow. Everywhere! Since then, I have been eager to work them into a project.

There are so many ways to bring trees to life inside four walls, and if all goes well, there is a good chance you may see them soon in a room that I've already started. For now, here are a few of my favorite takes on this nature inspired design.

Pricey wallpaper, but what a stunning effect!
By Anthropologie

An affordable wallpaper option
Availible from Sherwin Williams

Same as above, different colorway

Treating walls with this metallic and cork paper creates an illusion of birch bark
Candice Olson Dimensional Surfaces
Image via Aspiring Artistry

Sheer curtains from IKEA

Here's a stencil that would be a fun DIY project
By Cutting Edge Stencils

How does the change in seasons inspire you and in what ways have you brought the outdoors in? Leave a comment below!

Tulip Table

2010-11-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

Anyone a fan of Finnish mid-century modernist Eero Saarinen? My hand is up and waving. There is so much to love about his fluid design.

My most recent craiglist find both surprised and thrilled me. Saarinen's tulip side table. And, get this...for only $10!

The laminate top is chipped beyond repair, so my plan is to replace it with wood or marble. I'll likely also give the one-piece aluminum base a fresh coat of paint.

Take a look below at this versatile piece. Yes, it's a mid-century design, originating in 1956, but it is classic in all senses of the word. It is equally at home in a traditional or modern setting, and is sized perfectly to be an end table or bedside stand. I've even seen it used as a child's table.

Have you scored any great finds for your home on craigslist or ebay or elsewhere? Do you like mixing different design eras in your rooms?

2010-11-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

Just like the a perfect pair of shoes can make an outfit, little details like these can make a room.

Via Anthropologie.com

I've been watching craigslist and making regular stops at local second hand stores in search of a dresser in need of a face lift. Wouldn't a few of these dress it up?

Room to grow

2010-11-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

Here's a peak at a some of the elements being used in a boy's room I'll be working on later this week.

The challenging aspect of designing a child's room is achieving the perfect balance between being age appropriate today and ensuring there's room to grow beyond tomorrow.

Consider these ideas:

1. Relate the room to the rest of the house. Your home interior benefits immensely from continuity and cohesiveness. Use similar tones of color, styles of furniture and fixtures throughout your home, then add bits of color and pattern that reflect your child's personality and style.

2. "Just say no" to themes. They are everywhere, but I urge you strongly to think ahead a mere two years before you select dino or princess decor - or worse, a licensed character from a new movie release. Themes will only limit you when your child changes his or her mind. How much simpler and versatile (not to mention pleasing to the eye) it is to incorporate a few items on a shelf or a poster on a wall, than to base the entire room around one item or character.

3. Choose the best quality you can afford for items that will stay long term. A classic well-made dresser can take a toddler through his teenage years, and maybe even off to college. A handsome geometric print (in curtains, for example) will coordinate well with nearly any style. A wool rug will hold up to the wear and tear of rambunctious kids playing hours at a time on all fours. By making sure these investments are not too age specific, you will save money in the long run.

4. Display toys and collections. Don't hide all those [....]! (Insert: rocks, Legos creations, feathers, dolls, etc.) Instead, think of ways to incorporate them into the decor. Toys placed with a few stacks of books on a shelf are not only within reach, but they also create an interesting focal point. Paintings, drawings and posters become art when nicely framed and hung together. Grouping items that are similar (or even just the same color) makes an instant collection. Labelled canisters, photoboxes or jars keep extra supplies or collections organized. And, if you don't mind one quick appeal, please keep our landfills free from stuffed bears and battery-operated gadgets. Consigning or donating toys, books or clothes is earth-friendly, and it's also one more way of showing your care for others in your community.

5. Perhaps most important: involve the child! For the room featured above, fifteen minutes sitting criss-cross apple-sauce with my 7 year old client (without his mom in earshot) proved to be all that was needed for inspiration and direction!

hand-me-downs

2010-10-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Do you have a piece of furniture - or maybe more than one - tucked away in the far corner of your basement? Or stashed above the rafters in the garage? Perhaps it is a piece that has been in the family for years, handed down once or twice, or maybe even kept out of sheer obligation. Clearly, it just didn't suit your style when it first came to live with you, but I implore you to take a second look. Turn a creative eye to the enormous (economical) potential under that thick layer of dust!

These Duncan Phyfe dining chairs have been in my client's family for decades. While she currently uses the matching buffet, the remainder of the set has been in storage for longer than anyone cares to admit. A single "a-ha"moment two weeks ago led to these chairs being yanked back into the light of day. They are destined for a complete makeover and will soon replace an oak Amish-made set. In the grand scheme, the renewed chairs will relate better, and beautifully, to other pieces in the dining room and adjacent rooms.

Our fabric hunt was fun and fast. The beautiful wovens below from Robert Allen were a triple win: amazing complementary prints, perfect colours, and on clearance! And, as outdoor fabrics, they are moisture resistant and easy-to-clean. What else could we ask for in a dining room?

At present, the chairs reside with a local craftsman who will tighten up a few joints to make them sturdy for everyday use. Until then, my spray painting and upholstering tools stand at attention, waiting for the moment we can begin this renewal!

Fine Dining

2010-10-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Last year it looked like this:

Things became worse...

....before they became better.

Admittedly, we still have a long way to go. But two nights ago, for the first time ever, we were able to entertain a few remarkably gracious guests in a room that is actually designed for dining. I think in most households it's referred to as a "dining room"? Such a novel idea!

In prior months, having dinner guests meant serving a meal in our living room. Trying to seat everyone at a table squeezed into a room that was already home to a couch, coffee table, and a few other pieces inevitably made for tight fit. We were more than willing, then, to tolerate the current real (not faux) bois interior, as the scenery was secondary to having enough room to move and breathe. Dinner was positively enjoyable!

By now you've likely spotted the new windows and door I posted about recently. Transom windows are yet to be installed along the top, which will channel additional natural light into the room and open up the space even more, for many a "bon appetit" in the months ahead.

Double duty

2010-10-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

2-for-1! Does that make your ears perk up? It's always great when a piece of furniture serves in more than one capacity. These stools, whether placed beside a sofa as a small table or pulled up as an extra seat, add a sculptural quality and color to any room.

Here are a few I love, in all their various colors, shapes and materials.

My absolute favorite from West Elm

Industrial look from CB2

Pretty color and subtle pattern from CSN.com

A bold statement piece

Ideal for any kid's room

Clean-lined and simple from West Elm

Sure to brighten up a room!

The classic ceramic stool

Love this cut-out effect

I would love to see any multi-tasking piece you have worked into your home. Send me pictures, or leave your link in a comment.

Spoiled!

2010-10-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I found this beautiful orchid on my kitchen table, waiting for me to blast through the door after a hectic day.

A sweet anniversary gift from a husband who knows me well.

Today, the orchids keep me company - and keep me calm - while I work. They make me smile. I couldn't help but share.

Like New!

2010-09-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

The "ewww" factor has been erased. Here is my ugly duckling bench, made beautiful! I am happy with result, and even happier with the cost:
Bench: $1.00
Spray Paint: $4.00
Fabric: Free! (sample)
Total: $5.00 plus a little elbow grease

This piece tucks nicely under our coat rack and adds a shot of color (who doesn't love deep teal?) to our entry way.