StarterHouse

The Best Part of New Shelves: Decorating!

I had fun pillaging through the house to find some things to 'display' on the new master bedroom shelves.  I toyed around with a few things, but landed on this:

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I had everything you see here (the little clock was originally purchased for the master bathroom shelves, so we'll see if it stays or goes) except for the fresh flowers.  Free decorating is the best!  Now this wall has a little more color.

I've heard several decorating 'experts' declare that the master bedroom should be for you and your mate, alone.  Meaning, no pictures of the kids, parents, siblings, etc.  I think it's kind of a nice rule of thumb.  We have the rest of the house for those photos, after all :)  It really helps when you need to escape from everything to have a place only for you with no distractions.  

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For fun, here's the breakdown of everything using the super cool 'snagit' tool that Joe clued me in to...it's so easy and fun! This was my first time using it, so keep that in mind LOL

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I'm sure I'll change things out periodically and I have a few ideas for what to 'do' below the shelves.  I'll be sure to post if it's anything exciting.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

-k :)

Progress: New Shelves

Joe built three sets of shelves--one set for each bathroom and one for the master bedroom.  I finished painting the bedroom shelves last night and he put them up for me...sweet!  (It definitely helped that he got to use his awesome nail gun ;)

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So today I get to start picking out things to 'display'!  I'm thinking about adding a little bit more color, but I may just keep it serene and soothing like everything else in there--I've been thoroughly enjoying the new feel and it's so appropriate for a bedroom...

We're staining the other two sets of shelves for the bathrooms to match the cabinets and they are currently in the garage drying out.  Because we used the 'Joe Craven staining technique' (using a roller to apply one thick coat of stain instead of painting it on and wiping it with a rag--which would require multiple coats to achieve the deep color we want), I think it'll be another day or two before the final layer of polyurethane gets added.  Those shelves won't be done until this weekend, at the earliest.

But progress, nonetheless! 

-k :)

Stripes to Add Dimension

It seems like stripes on walls are everywhere these days...or maybe it's just because I spend all my 'fun' time online reading design blogs.  They are great for adding dimension/depth to a shallow space and for definition of a large area.   

A few of the blogs that I read regularly have made over rooms using this technique:

(The 'reading room' from The Lettered Cottage)

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(The half bath from Young House Love)

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Both used the stripes to create the illusion of a bigger space and it worked!  We are resigned to the fact that we have to paint our master bathroom (remember that renovation project we started 3 months ago?)...but with the incredibly high vaulted ceilings I've been brainstorming a way around the death trap of the 20 ft ladder. 

Also, it is a narrow space--it kind of feels like a 'galley bathroom' if there is such a term used outside of a kitchen.  I didn't want to draw attention to that point and I think if we paint each wall it will make it feel like the walls are closing in on us (even though we're using a fairly light color).  I certainly didn't want to take on painting stripes all the way up the walls...so we landed on the idea of painting the back wall that you see as you walk in the doors and then do a wide stripe in the same color all the way around the room. 

Here's a look at the stripe (we haven't done the back wall yet):

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It's funny how low the stripe looks in these pictures--It's right at about 6 feet high at the midpoint of the stripe...I was worried we'd painted it too high, but now I'm wondering if we should've gone higher. 

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So this idea could totally backfire--drawing your eye up, but then having it abruptly stop at the top of the stripe?  I'm hoping that won't be the case once we have the shelves up (another project on the verge of completion) and art, etc...I can't wait to see the finished product and share it with you :)

-k :)

ps--starting next week I'm going to set a goal to post twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.  I am finding the writing more rewarding than I expected, but sometimes the inspiration to post isn't always there and when it is there, I'm tied up with the daily grind bliss of raising children.  I have a ton of ideas but by the time I get in front of the computer the inspiration is usually gone.  By giving myself a deadline, I'm hoping I'll put it higher on my priority list!  We'll see :)

Living Room Update :)

I mentioned that we bought a new rug for the living room a few weeks ago.  I figured I would show you how it looks and show you some of the other little changes we made.  I'll just tell you what we did along with showing you some a lot of the pictures:

New rug from Target:

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We moved this table from the stairway to behind the couch.  Here is where it used to be when we used it as a landing spot for keys, mail, junk, etc:

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Ever since we'd moved the couches to this layout, I had been thinking about moving the table to behind the couch.  The end table used to sit behind it and it was too low to make it look right.  Now, with our new Crate and Barrel lamp and a few accessories, this corner looks polished, not hodge podge!  (I originally went to Crate and Barrel to get a different lamp, but spotted this one for 50% off!  Half off makes a very persuasive argument.  Still pricey, but hoping it will work in our home for years to come.)

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And the end table seems perfectly suited in its new location as.....an end table!  Sitting in that chair in this location had always created a challenge for where to put your drink or food (not that we EVER eat in the living room hahahaha). 

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I made all of the changes except moving the heavy toy chest up to where the sofa table used to be before Joe got home from work the other day.  I emailed him before he got here to ask him to open his mind about a few changes since I wasn't sure he'd go for it.  He was sold the minute he walked in.  Then he helped me move the toy chest up to its new location.

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We love it so much better here.  And the kids seem to get into it more now that it's a little more under their nose in the middle of everything.  And I'll have a new project:  deciding what to do with the wall just above it (no, the circle art isn't staying).

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And here's a shot of all of the rugs so you can see how they kind of work together as seen from the stairs:

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(Yes, that is the rug from overstock that didn't work in the living room in the corner by the front door waiting for marching orders.  I haven't had any takers on craigslist...even at my discounted rate!) 

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I have to mention how amazing cheap carnations in a recycled salsa jar can brighten up a space...at the rate I go through Clint's Texas Salsa (from Joe's home state), I had to start reusing the jars.  The label comes off so easily and they're a nice shape.  We'll see what else I can use them for...

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Now let's take a walk down memory lane...I can't find a picture of where we started before we moved the furniture this way, but at least we have something to use as a before! 

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And here we are today:

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It feels so much better to us--it just makes sense to have things set up this way.  Plus, it created more space where the toy chest used to be.  So now it's not a wall of chairs/furniture facing you when you walk in the front door.  Now, if we could get rid of our addiction to tv, we could free up the corner where the entertainment stuff is!

The only thing I'm considering now is pulling the area rug further out from under the couch...it looks kind of awkward since the rug is so light and the couch is so dark.  Or maybe I'm just over thinking it.

-k :)

Happy Things

A few things that are making me smile in my kitchen lately:

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My new measuring spoons from World Market...

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And the apron I got as part of my Mother's Day celebration...I guess Joe can take a hint ;) 

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(sorry it's a little blurry!)

Mother's Day was a real treat--I felt so spoiled.  I didn't have to cook all day and got to hang out with my sister-in-law (who was here visiting) at the nail salon before we went out for lunch.  It was heavenly :)

Joe made me feel truly appreciated for taking care of these two rugrats:

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-k :)

Presto Chango

A few changes can make a big impact.  We bought three new rugs and a new lamp and moved some things around and we can't believe the difference it has made! 

I just thought I'd quickly show some before and afters of the new rugs...more on the lamp and little furniture moves that have made a difference in our living/family room later :)

So one of my sisters kindly donated us a rug to use in our bare entryway well over 3 years ago.  It has served us well.  It was the perfect size and FREE.  Need I say more? 

If you look a little closer, you'll see that it is really well worn...mostly in its life before moving here, but it has had a little bit of foot traffic (we usually come and go through the basement and garage). 

Here's the new rug from overstock.com:

We love how it brightens the space and ties in with the living room colors (not really showcasing that in this picture--I'll get a better picture for the next post).  Not bad for $65!  Plus, the pattern is kind of a muted modern.  I really dig it and Joe does, too (it can be challenging to decorate when you have to consider your mate's tastes). 

I'm not, however, digging how the artwork is playing off of it, but it doesn't bug me enough to change it.  (I got those paintings from one of my old office jobs when they remodeled...I spray painted the white frames that 'silver' tone...WHY?!?)

The second rug was for the kitchen...gee, do you think we should replace it?

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Yes, this is what greets me each morning as I come into the kitchen to start the day.  Isn't it inspiring? 

Here's what we ended up with:

This is what greets me now at 5:30am (early enough to get some 'me time' in before everyone else wakes up!):

 

I had ordered one from overstock.com for this spot, but the colors were too bright.  I saw this one at Target and snatched it up.  It's perfect (but let's face it, anything would have been better)!

We have a third new rug in the living/family room, but I'll show that one when I do a post on the overall changes to that room...

-k :)

Dish Soap Dilemma Solved

A few weeks ago I stumbled across a great idea in a post from one of the blogs I follow but I can't find the original post, so I can't link/credit it.  Just know: this idea is totally stolen ;) 

I cannot seem to bring myself to put the dish soap under the sink...it's just so handy to have it right there at arm's length:

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But it's kind of an eyesore (not that the island EVER looks as clean and nice as it does in this picture...buuut, still).  Someone else had the same problem and solved it by putting the dish soap in one of those oil and vinegar dispensers....So easy!  So cheap!  (mine cost $2) So clean ("so fresh and so clean clean")!

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(okay...I totally added the little plants to really spruce up the after shot!)

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Joe even noticed it tonight and said, 'great idea!'  A smarter woman would've claimed it as her own, but I confessed that I stole it from some other smart lady.  And now you can too!

-k :)

Bullentin Board to Fit Our Decor

I saw a really cool idea on Oprah a few years ago that I thought could help us manage our paper and artwork a little better.  She had Peter Walsh driving around the country on Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour...it was a great series--he basically knocked on random doors and talked his way into people's homes and helped them get control over their clutter. Most people turned him away, but the few who took him up on his offer had their lives transformed! 

One family lived in a tiny Manhattan apartment with two small children (and the mess that comes with them).  He helped the mom learn some systems to manage the stuff and how to not let the clutter overwhelm them again.  Candace Olsen from HGTV's Divine Design came in to make some cosmetic changes.  She had some really cool ideas for their small living quarters.  My favorite idea was placing carpet tiles on the walls to use as a bulletin board for the kid's artwork:

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Genius!  And it made each piece of art look like it had its own special frame...I was determined to use this idea and I had a few spots in the house where I thought it could work.  I ultimately decided on the wall leading into the kitchen.  I wanted a place to put Townes' school snack schedule/calendar, reminders, art work and whatever else important that usually gets lost in the shuffle.  I am a visual person, so it's usually "out of sight, out of mind."  Having this little wall to depend on would be perfect!

I researched the carpet tiles and couldn't find any flooring stores who carried them (in stock, anyway).  I did find some online, but I would've had to order samples to see the colors, etc etc.  I just kind of lost my motivation and couldn't pull the trigger.  Then, on one of my frequent jaunts to IKEA, I noticed their round bath mats.....see where this is headed? 

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Since we have a lot of squares in the decor (rug in the dining room, our backsplash, and other wall decorations), it's nice to have some circles to balance it out.  I definitely need to do an overhaul of some of the things hanging up (that snowman has had more than enough display time!), but this is realistically how it looks 99% of the time. 

So it's three IKEA bathmats overlapping each other.  I hand sewed them and then glued square cork board (I got a package of four squares at Wal-Mart for like $5, or something) to each of the circle's backs to ensure the tacks would stay put. 

I also discovered something new--pushpin clips from The Container Store!  They're tacks with little clips on them (if the name didn't give that away):

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They're really handy and hold a lot of paper...more durable than I expected. 

So for around $20, we have a custom solution to our artwork/schedule/blank wall situation.  Instead of frantically searching the various stacks of mail/paper around the house to see if it is Townes' day to bring a snack, I can easily glance up at this wall and know the answer.

-k :)

Master Bedroom Shade Update

Hi, I'm back from my random non-posting hiatus.  I have no good explanation, so let's just move on, shall we?  :)  Things have been coming along with the bathrooms-slowly, but surely.  Joe was out of town for a few weekends and has been busy with work, so we've just accepted the fact that these projects aren't going to wrap up this weekend.  Or next weekend.  Or...okay, you get the idea.  I do have an update on the shades in the master bedroom, though!  (just pretend you're excited even if you want to yawn)

Remember a few months ago when I was on the fence about the very inexpensive roman shades from JCPenney?  I got off the fence and took them back.  I replaced them with nicer roman shades from JCPenney.  (And they were also on sale, for $40 each!)  Well, I did the physical exchange back in early March, but they only went up on the windows last weekend.  I know, I'm a saint.  Ha Ha Ha..no, Joe's the saint.  My 'honey-do' lists are not always fun ;)  Even though he did get to use his drill...

So let's take a walk down memory lane...if you remember, I busted through my comfort zone and purchased patterned curtains (!).  And I thought we should hang them higher to give the illusion of higher ceilings (a definite plus in this room since where the vaulted ceiling starts makes the back wall seem shorter than it is). 

First, a close up of the old roman shades:

Gross.  I can't believe I even considered keeping these.  Especially since there was no cord to raise and lower them!  What was I thinking?

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And here's a shot of the room with just the curtains so we can get a good before and after:

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And now a shot from today:

  

This is after adding the new roman shades, raising the curtain rod about 6-7 inches higher and hemming the curtain panels (oh, and buying another set of IKEA Stockholm Blad curtain panels..almost forgot about that).

I'm taking my time as for what will go on the walls so that I will have no regrets.  I don't want to rush anything.  You'll be the first to know once anything goes up ;)  

-k :)

Cheap Art: Map

A while back I was perusing some things on etsy and landed in someone's store who was selling vintage local maps.  I thought it would be kind of cool to frame one from downtown Washington, D.C., since that's where Joe and I met.  I never got around to buying one and kind of forgot about it.  Well, two nights ago I was on a sanity break after Joe came home from work and I headed over to the bookstore for some quiet time.  I passed by the map section and remembered the idea!  I bought a D.C. map for $2.99 and figured I could try to fit it in an extra Ribba IKEA frame that was sitting at home empty:

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I think it'll work!

And we met in Dupont Circle, had our first date there and many more after that (our company was located there), so it is centered almost exactly around Dupont.  (My close up shot didn't turn out, but it's at the center of the spider web of arteries in the map in the shot above.)

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I was thinking we'd hang it above this table where we have our baskets for keys and odds and ends...but it's a little washed out.  It could also look nice in our bedroom against the blue walls.  We'll see...Townes, of course, had to climb up and get in the picture (the little ham!) and it didn't take long for him to find daddy's screw driver.  And Kate didn't want to be left out, so she busted in, too ;)  Sorry it's so blurry...

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They literally come running when they hear the little 'beep boop beep' of my camera turning on ;)  Then they ask to see themselves in the LCD screen.  What have we created?!

-k :)