Master Bath Before & After

Step One - Shower Doors!

Step 2: Drawer Hardware

Step 3: Mirrors

I'll come back with more images when all the little details are in!

From cathedral to cool!

During demolito of Phase 1 we learned that our cathedral window was nothing close to original, so all of my termination to keep it to pay homage to the past was in vain - unless you consider an homage to weird design in the 80's an homage.

But our scope had crept enough and reframing this wall to get a new window in there was not worth it. So we kept our cathedral window knowing that what it did desperately need was a face list.

Step 1 Painting it Benjamin Moore White Dove

Step 2
Replacing the amber, textured and cracked glass with a modern modern opaque glass

Yup, cool.

I love our new carpet!

At some point I will post a picture of the fantastic mauve beauty that used to be up here but for now I am reveling in the most favorite of things: our new wall to wall carpet.

Before I had kids, I really didn't like wall to wall carpet. It gets ugly really fast and I feel like it houses all the dust and dirt that you can't see. But once I had kids and found myself sitting on the floor a lot, I realized how nice a good carpet is. And in a bedroom, well it's really nice underfoot.

So for the rooms under the roof which will inevitably be the master and maybe the kids rooms, I chose a wool sisal look alike rug. It took me a while to find a reasonably priced wood rug bit when I did, I went for it. And while ordering, the sales associate next to the woman helping me remarked - "This is a Neiman Marcus Rug at Gap pricing. You can get a better bang for your buck" My kind of rug.

And well, I knew it would make a difference...but really, the difference is dreamier than I thought!

More mess...

And then voila!!!!

Saying goodbye to the weird...

We are getting down to bare bones. Blank walls, empty closets. And I am starting to see realize that we are getting rid of the weird and bizarre and strange. Don't get me wrong, we'll still have plenty of character and am imperfect house but mucho of the really bizarre will be gone.

And believe it or not, I am getting slightly nostalgic. But I have to start somewhere, so here it goes.

Goodbye to the green tile countertop, green subway tile floor and space age bathtub.

Goodbye to the strange nook in the dining room that used to have a sink.

Goodbye to the bizarre space above the nook whose purpose we have yet to understand.

Goodbye to the laundry in the hallway closet.

Goodbye to the open walls that insure to privacy anywhere.

Goodbye to the pink carpet and patch of tile and our vintage wood burning fireplace. (Ok, the fireplace is the farthest thing from weird, in fact it is downright amazing, but I can't put it anywhere legally because it is not EPA compatible and it would rust immediately if I put it out on our deck.) So it's goodbye.

Goodbye to the chartreuse Japanese soaking tub.

Goodbye to the stair landings that were built on top of windows.

Goodbye to the escape hatch that connects the two upstairs rooms.

Goodbye to the bathrooms whose ceilings open up into the rooms in which they are located.

Goodbye to hacked construction like how this ceiling fan was mounted to the ceiling.

There is so much more that is weird and bizarre. Perhaps it is time for me to create a video walkthrough…

Why?

I mean why? Why would you not make the top of the DIY wainscoting level with the bottom trim of the window?

Little stuff like this just makes me kind of crazy.

Basically, there is stuff like this all over our house.

Trim anyone?

Basically, we have more types of trim in our house than the Home Depot.

Kind of ads to the charm. And the character. Or the schizophrenia.

Some is painted, some in stained, some is white, some is brown.

Some is traditional, some is classic, some is old, some is new.

Some is 1", 2", 4" and 6". I feel like I could write a Dr. Suess book about it.

If we did nothing else, and just changed out all the trim to match, it might seem like a whole new house.

And of all the choices, you might be asking "What kind of trim will you have?"

You will just have to stay tuned...

Making the bed

"Making the bed is a gift from your present self to your future self."

I read that once, don't ask me where but it sort of stuck. I suppose I have always made my bed out of compulsive neatness but never really thought about how it did actually make me feel. I like looking at a made bed and I really love getting into a made bed.

So every morning I make the bed and then it looks like this...

Until today.

Because last night, my dear husband asked "Why are there so many pillows on the bed? All I do is this motion?" (And he motioned the taking pillow off bed and throwing it on floor thing, several times.)

And I answered, "Because it looks better and I like it."

"But it doesn't." he replied.

Now, usually when it comes to the topic of pillows and upholstery and stemware and table settings and floral arranging, I trust my instinct, not his. But for some reason, I woke up this morning and thought again about the pillows on the floor and figured I would just give his suggestion a try.

So then it looks like this...

Minimalist, yes.

No pillows on floor to fall over on the way to bathroom at 3am, yes.

Easier to make, yes.

Looks like a hotel room, yes.

Will try this out for a week or so, yes.

What you do you think?

My writing nook

Please forgive the iphone quality photo.
Needs a lamp, but otherwise I think it will do just fine.

Before & After: A room for two...

Before

After

It's officially done! No more projects left to do!

A mixture of vintage, hand-made, IKEA, ebay and a few special pieces, the kiddo room is by far one of my favorites in the whole house. 

Welcome to this room for two...or almost two. For now, it is still just a room for one as we wait for number 2 to sleep a bit longer before adding him to the mix. Our almost 3 sleeps like a new babe in his IKEA crib so I haven't had the heart to move him to the toddler bed. I mean, he hasn't tried to climb out and he sleeps almost 11 hours plus a 2 hour nap in the afternoon - why would I move him?

Before

After

We'll have to move him when it's time to share his space but we still have about 4-5 months, so until then, we''ll just keep things as they are.

I do think it will be a great set-up for 2 and though we lost the closet, I love that the crib fits like a glove into the space. When they are ready, we will convert the toddler bed to a bunk bed and then the closet nook can become a reading nook or Lego shrine. For the closet before & after and wallpaper project, click here.

Vintage desk found at a local consignment store and vintage chair was given to us. The framed tree is actually something drawn by my husband - I assume when he was just a wee one himself. I couldn't help but frame it and hang it front and center.

As for the changing table, you can see the early transformation here. And yes, we still have two in diapers so this set up works just right for now.