Home-y

Before I get too deep into the room update, I want to share how it happened. So often when I see other moms do this online I feel deflated, thinking how on earth did she get all that done?  The planets really aligned for this one.  I had a few days off while Chloe was out of school on spring break, so I never had to stop my momentum for drop off or pick up at school.  Two of the four days it rained, so she was happy doing things inside.  I didn't clean up every day--I left all the project stuff out, and the rest of the house was pretty much a mess until I finished, that stuff doesn't bother me, but would drive my husband a little nutty, he happened to be out of town.
I sanded and painted in the wind and rain, under our covered porch. I completed the project in five days, it didn't happen overnight.  Also, I just noticed that the hem on my little table cloth is super crooked in the picture below.  I like it, it's like a wave.

For our guests, an extra blanket, and some good books.  This five-piece modular set was left in the garage of our first house.  It lived in the garage for 10 years, and this garage for two, and we finally have a place for it inside.  I wiped it down with lots of Murphy's oil soap, followed by Old English oil.  It's still pretty dried out, but it is the greatest little set.  There's a power strip on the second shelf for guests to charge their electronics.  We need a nice tall plant for that empty corner.

I sanded and painted this side table.  That lamp we had in the garage, it was sage green, I sprayed it bright yellow.  The art on this wall is from a Paper Source calendar that I bought at 70% off, with the exception of the yellow and white piece, which is a wallpaper sample from Farrow & Ball.  The frames were old ones from my mom's garage that I spray painted white.  The Sunset Motel print is from a local Long Beach company, The Poster List.  I originally discovered their work on SF Girl By Bay, and then saw them in person at Patchwork here in Long Beach, where I picked this up.  

I spent some money at Target to finish the room off, I bought a lamp shade $10.99, urchin vase $14.99, table cloth $12.99, and a reed diffuser $10.  From that table cloth I made I made a smaller one, and the throw pillow, and still have fabric leftover. Maybe it will become a runner for our dining room table.  I hand-embroidered the little anchor for fun. Everything else I pulled from around the house.  The little yellow bowl is from Chloe's play kitchen set.  The train case was in the master bedroom, I like it here.  The fan stays in this room year round because one of my favorite house guests requires a fan to sleep.

Two more frames I took from my mom's garage, they were really ugly 90's splatter-painted.  A little white spray paint really does make me happy, it's true.  The art work is from a book called Seasons that I bought on clearance when Borders was going out of business.  It is full of fun graphic images.

I just need a basket, both to hide that ugly cable/phone box and to house extra pillows.  We need a plant and mirror, and I think we're ready. Oh, and one of those nice bedside carafes, I've always wanted one of those.  Oh, and a little alarm clock would be nice. Apparently it's not quite as done as I thought, but it looks pretty, and it's super cozy.

Master Bathroom

We removed the soffit, added the bench, and a few more inches of space to the shower area. The shower enclosure is etched matte glass facing the bathroom door, while the shower door side is clear glass.  

We kept the original vanity and had the cabinet sprayed and added new hardware.  Found this great 

vanity mirror that matched our color scheme at Lowe's.  Some may hate this light fixture but I love it.  It fits the style of our house, doesn't cast ugly shadows, gives off plenty of light, and it was twenty dollars.  Twenty dollars!  Of course I love it.  It is the larger version of this Hampton Bay fixture.

The accordion mirror is from Ikea, as is that little stacker I throw my jewelry in.  

husband's products match quite nicely. good work, husband.  

My friend Melinda sent me this gorgeous photo  that feels perfect in this room. 

We really wanted the colored tiles in subway size, but they were going to take an extra four weeks to arrive and well, we just wanted to have a shower already, so we compromised.  

Below:  I turned an inexpensive wall hanging from Ross into a jewelry organizer.  I used a wallpaper sample from Farrow & Ball, Mod Podge, a little paint I had on hand, some hooks and a few nails, and voila. 

Living Room

Before photos, well, they just aren't good.  And this one is no exception. We were still in escrow when I took this photo, I tried to get that armchair as part of the deal, but someone in the family had good taste and had already claimed it.

I sanded, primed, and painted all that wood paneling myself.  Mighty satisfying.  

We also tore up that carpet, got slightly larger windows, and painted the ceiling and walls.  The fireplace  and left wall are done in bright white, while the right wall is painted in Dunn Edward's Gray Wonder.  

hello, clean bright room!

Several months later it is finally looking lived in!  Not quite finished yet, but getting there.  I want to spray that lamp a different color, the black isn't working for me.  And that mid-century gem in the lower right corner, he's going to be reupholstered.  I love it as is, but it is tired and dirty and needs new life.  Hopefully you MCM purists won't throw shoes at me.  I want to print a nice big canvas for over the sofa, possibly of this photo, although Geoff doesn't love it as much as I do.  We'll see.  

I also want to interject a nice pale blue.  My Pinterest page revealed to me which color-way I wanted to go--I really didn't know until I started collecting images that inspired me and fabrics that I love.   

Here's to a weekend that's all sunshiny yellow!

Office

Entryway

september 12th, 2011 7:18am

This area in our house is very unfinished.  It looks kinda all right in the morning light.  Some of my birthday gifts have landed on that top shelf, till they find a place to live.  The bird painting in front of the potted plant is one by Mincing Mockingbird, a gift from my friend Rachel.  The yellow thing is a Y we bought at the flea market last month.  And the adorable white owl was a gift from my friend, Marisa.  It's ceramic and holds a candle, and has a chain for hanging. Marisa has hers hanging outdoors, but mine may end up being an indoor owl.  Anyway, they don't look bad where they've landed, so there they wait.

Chloe's Room

Only a little glimpse because the rest of it is super messy.  I made this simple wall hanging for under $5.  I bought a single sheet of gift wrap at Paper Source, and the frame at a garage sale for $1.  Spray painted it in chartreuse green, cut the letters out free-hand and voila.  Quick, easy project.  She chose the word, which can be switched out pretty quickly for a little change.

One day when the rest of her room comes together I'll show the rest of it.  Don't hold your breath. 

Front Door

What better place to start a before & after series than at the front door?

This is the existing solid door that came with the house.  The former owner was a piano teacher, hence the treble clef door knocker, not sure if you can make that out.  We tried to use existing materials as much possible while renovating, both to cut costs and be green whenever possible.  So we kept the existing door and ordered a kit from Crestview Doors.  It cost a lot less than buying a new door, and we were able to achieve the look we wanted.  We had our contractor cut out and install the windows for us,   and update the door jam.  The hardware was a set from another job site that went unused, so we got it at a discount, and boy was I happy to have it and not have to go shopping and make yet another decision, it was here and it worked.  

I am happy with the result and the extra light it allows in, although this setup does let in more noise.  

For these photos I was standing in a bush--no one sees this view, and thank goodness because that light fixture looks awful.  I think we discussed leaving it until we have the house painted, because that's gonna leave a mark.  Something simple like this from Lowe's would like nice.    

The door kit we choose is called The Brentwood, and painting or refinishing the door is still on our to-do list.

Now...which room to show next?