Demo!

A frightening term for new home owners, but let me tell you, it feels good... Dave and I first started demolition in the guest bedroom closet. It backs up to the master bedroom closet so I decided that it would be best to take it over and make it a walk in closet for me!

Plaster wall sure are a mess, but they quickly came down and my joy of a walk in closet set in.

With this lovely hole in the wall, I told Dave that he could just wall up the door into the guest bedroom you see past the doors and we could make it a giant walk in closet for me. He didn't think it was funny! We framed the wall in and now, we need closet organizers. More to come on that...

Next we turned our attention to the entry walls... They felt really closed in so we decided to take them down to low walls so that we could still have a defined entry. See the blue tape on the walls? Then it was time for more demo...

There goes the walls...

...and now another mess! But it's a good mess and more fun things are to come!

Making some moves to move in...

Progress on the house is moving forward and in less then 2 weeks we will be closing on the house officially! Dave and I have begun to start packing and figuring out the what will need to be done to the house immediately. The first thing that we both agree on is refinishing the wood floors. While this will be a large expense up front, it will make a world of difference.  Plus, once we move in, we're most likely never going to do it. Refinishing is running around $2 a square foot to get someone to sand, refinish and apply a top coat. There are ways to bring that cost down like sanding the floors yourself, but since we cannot move any furniture in until the floors are done, we don't want to take extra time with first timer trial and error. 

The floors are in good condition, but show majors signs of wear. It's to be expected since they are the original floors. For the most part though, they have no major scratches or any areas that will need to be patched! We are very lucky:) So now the question becomes, what color do we stain them? The floors are oak so there will also be natural yellow tone within the color. 

I would love to achieve a tone similar to the one above. This medium stain will add warmth to the spaces and will have enough depth to stand up against the bright white trim color we are going to use. One tip is not to be afraid to ask for test samples. We don't have any extra piece lying around so our floor re-finisher offered to put down a few color samples.  The last thing you want is to start staining and realize it's not quite the right color. Make sure to look at the samples in the day time and with any major  soft  furnishings you might have like sofa fabric or area rugs.  Since wood floors are all different, you never know how the wood will accept the stain until you put the color on. 

The other project my husband and I started making decisions on is the paneling in the family room. Since we will have to pull the base boards off for the floor staining, we figured we might as well install the paneling that I love.  Like usual, I want the full affect, so I quickly took over the asile in Lowe's for my little puzzle.  Below is 4" horizontal pieces with 2.5" vertical pieces.  These handy pre-cut pieces would give us a 57" high paneling if we added the cap piece seen in the upper left corner. I love that we could add a paint color above, but also haven't given up on full height paneling!

House!

So it's exciting to write a post about the new house my husband and I finally bought. After looking at what seemed like hundreds of homes, we finally got exactly what we wanted. So what made this home the winner?

Four Bedroom

Two and half bathrooms

Garage

HUGE yard for the dog

2100 square feet

The most amazing neighborhood with sidewalks

7 Houses away from the elementary school (I counted!)

I also love that the previous owner lived there since 1966 when it was built. We will be the second owners of this 46 year old home. As you can imagine, there was great pride in maintaining this home so while we don't have to do anything, we will be updating this charming split level. It was important to find a home that we could live in but also have manageable projects to do over the next few years. Our heads are spinning with ideas of what we can do both inside and out, so be sure to check back as we begin tackling this new adventure when we close September 5th! 

For the Kiddies...

Why do all kids bedrooms have to be "themed?" I think some of the best bedrooms come from collections of patterns and textures. While I don't have my own kids right now, I do have some favorite accessories and bedding! Let's take a look at some great "kid-proof" rooms and what great home decor you could add to any room!

I love a pair of twin bed... Add a inexpensive sisal area rug and classic hotel bedding with patterned pillow & sheets! Display art and photos to start a collection that grows with the child. 

Add a patterned sham to simple white bedding! 

Catalina Euro Sham from Serenaandlily.com

Bold art!

Flamingo no. 4 from 20x200.com

A mix of graphic and fun patterns make for a cute boy's room!

"Atomic" sheets from garnethill.com

These sheets even glow in the dark:)

Images via Lonny Magazine

Let There be Light

Hi... I just wanted to share a new source I'm a little crazy over, Lawrence McRae. His organic ceramic creations would be great accessories in any home. I feel like the "medium cylinder in lacy" table lamp may need to be in my life! Make sure to check his website at http://www.lawrencemcrae.com/.

Cylinder Vases

Nice to Meet You...

Thanks Pinterest for introducing me to Antonio Martins Interior Design. I myself am a designer, but I think you grow by appreciating other designer's talents & boy does Antonio have some talent! I think I'm drawn to his aesthetic, because I would consider my style to be very similar. We both like to mix textures amongst old and new elements to create an intriguing yet comfortable room. What do you think of him?

For more information, please visit:

http://www.antoniomartins.com

Jon's Cinema Styles "Set" the Mood

A lot can be said for a set designers out there. I actually considered being a set designer for a while. Creating the perfect room is not easy when you're starting with an empty stage. There is a lot that has to be considered for "on camera" rooms. Let's take a look at some of my favorite set designs and the man behind the camera making these sets into "homes." You need to know, Jon Hutman.

"The Holiday" living room set design by Jon Hutman has clean, classic lines paired with a California cool vibe. Does anyone notice how wide this room actually is? Upon closer inspection, you will notice the large expanse in middle of the room filled by two ottomans. To create a cozy room, consider keeping tables and ottomans about 18-20" away from chairs and sofas and not floating in a room.

"The Holiday" with blue lagos stone floor & countertops... It looks like there is about 5' between the island and counter top to make kitchen seem larger. In reality, 36" is enough room to open a refrigerator door and still walk around comfortably. Wouldn't you just love to cook in here?

I also loved watching Diane Keaton get swept off her feet in "Something's Gotta Give," but I couldn't help but notice the amazing set. Again, to make this room more comfortable, Jon added a pop of pattern with the striped rug. Without it, the overall room would be very tone on tone.

I am currently obsessed with Meryl Streep's beautiful Santa Barbara home in "It's Complicated." The terracotta floors, the carrera stone countertops and open shelves are all something that I would love to have in my own place. 

Overall, the sets are very tonal which allows the actors to stand out in the movie, but you can consider using the same advice in your home. Notice the pops of orange and blue that stand out? Neutral furniture & bold pillows are a great way to introduce color in a room without committing to a lot of color. 

This is a dream kitchen with carrera stone and limed oak wood. The woven shade also adds texture to the room. Consider taking down upper cabinets and exposing your collection of plates.

Which set design would you want to live in??