StarterHouse

Hellloooo!

Well, it's been a while since I've posted...we've been out of town and had a few other things pop up.  We've made a little progress with regard to the paint in the master bath...otherwise, I'm counting on Joe to knock some things off the 'honey-do' list during his vacation.  (some vacation, right?)  Seriously, he's looking forward to getting the bathrooms officially done and not hanging over his head.

So here's what we did in the master bath after we painted the stripe:

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(Glamorous work...)

 

Yes--I climbed up the ladder and did the cutting in and the rolling....oh man was I feeling a little dizzy in that corner!  Joe was holding the ladder for me.  I volunteered and it felt good to be doing some of the not-so-fun pieces of the projects. 

Anyways, after two coats of paint had dried, we realized that the paint color for the stripe was DIFFERENT than the two coats of paint on the back wall.  ummmm. 

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I tried to talk my way around it.  It was the light from the window...or, the reflection of...whatever...Then we checked the cans...sure enough, someone had entered the wrong combo of numbers and the stripe was off by one of the numbers.  Unbelievable! 

Guess which wall we re-painted?  Yep, I taped off the stripe again and quickly painted one coat of the correct color (Valspar's Cincinnatian Hotel Hannaford).  That did the trick!

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I'm so glad we did it--it made such a big difference! 

 

More updates to come:  I finished the backsplash for both bathrooms and Joe has made major progress--stay tuned!  And thanks for reading.  I had a good run with my posts and I'm hoping to get back into a regular rhythm :)

-k
 
 

Trashy? Not With This Beauty

I am loving this new trash can that sits on our bathroom vanity.  I'll give you three guesses as to where I bought it.....oh wait, you only need one guess?  My sister says that the associates probably know my name at IKEA.  It's not that bad, but they might recognize my face!

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So here she is in all her $12.99 "Gasgrund" glory:

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It's the perfect size for bits of tissue, q-tips, cotton balls, etc.  And our narrow bathroom leaves little room for a trash can.  We had an open trash can in the past, but having toddlers is like having a dog..you can't leave things open.  It's just an invitation for them to get in there and mess things up.  Gross.  Then we had a small one with a foot pedal for the lid.  That was better, but finding the perfect location so that neither of us had to walk very far (and we had to walk because of the whole foot pedal issue) just didn't work out.  (Lazy much?) 

So this little can has been in play for a few days and I'm already loving it.  Joe thinks it's pretty cool, too!  (I'm telling you, finding things for your home that everyone can agree on isn't always easy.)

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We've made some serious progress in the bathrooms.  I can't wait to show you more...

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Also, I'm pretty proud of myself--this makes two weeks in a row of Tuesday and Friday posts.  I'm on a roll now...

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Thanks for stopping by!  -k :)

They Make It So Easy, Yet...

...I STILL didn't get the backsplash in the middle bathroom done perfectly! 

I had planned to use the mortar and grout that we used for the tile floors (we have quite a bit left), but I learned from that tiling experience that mixing a small amount is really challenging. 

I was also intrigued by the new 'tile setting mat' that I'd seen over in the tiling section at Home Depot and Lowes.  It seemed too good to be true!  No mortar to mix, no clean up, no worry about getting mortar all over the wall, counter, etc.  I picked up the box a few weeks back to see how much area it covered...12 square feet (that would cover both bathrooms).  But it was $40...a little steep considering the bag of mortar we have downstairs is free.  

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At Lowes the following week, I found the same stuff on sale for $20!  This meant I could do it while the kids were napping, or basically whenever (and wouldn't have to worry about Joe being here to help me with mixing the mortar, etc.  I could do the mixing myself, but it's just easier to have an extra set of hands when dealing with messy stuff especially when you have to consider two little monkies possibly walking in at any moment). 

The box says it all:

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I mean, look how happy she is to be installing her backsplash:

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With our shelves (that will go above the toilets) almost finished, I'm getting the itch to get all the little things done so we can finally put these bathroom renos behind us. 

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This stuff is as easy as you'd think...literally cut the 'paper' to size, peal off the white backing and apply to the wall.  Use a grout float (or piece of wood) to smooth out any bubbles.  Then remove the clear, top layer and press your tile firmly into place. 

Here's a shot of the paper with the white backing and the clear cover:

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Once you get it up, you can grout right away.  Since we needed unsanded grout for the mosaic tile instead of sanded (like we'd used on the floors), I had to buy some.  I chose to buy the premixed acrylic latex from Elmer's that is also mildew resistant and ideal for mosaic tile. 

Despite being pre-mixed, it's still a little messy to apply...but I'll take it!

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The only problem I had in the entire process was not getting the long pieces of mosaic tile on straight--and this stuff is REALLY sticky, so it's super hard to remove it once your tile is put into place.

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Unfortunately, I didn't quite realize that one area of my tile was a little higher than the other (from my vantage point it looked straight...it's not until you are sitting, say, on the toilet that you would notice it).  It's really 'off'...no problem at the bottom since we'll fill it in with caulk, but the top isn't straight and that will probably be noticeable with the straight frame of the mirror sitting about an inch above it.  

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Anyways, what's done is done.  We didn't name this blog 'StarterHouse' for nothing!  We're learning as we go so that we'll eventually have a dream home that has perfectly straight tile ;) 

I could cut out that section and redo it, but if we can live with it, I'll just let it go.  We'll see...It's definitely a lesson learned for when I do the master bathroom (which will be after we paint the back wall).

I'll also post a shot of this backsplash once we caulk it and get the mirror back up. 

-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 :)

Fabric Project

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I'm almost finished with my fabric project.  Any guesses as to what it is?

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Kind of obvious?  Yeah, I guess the shower curtain rod and rings gave it away ;)  But I'm not going to show the full finished product until the bathroom (it's for the middle bathroom) is at least a little more done...

-k :)

Green Showers and Green Flowers

I know, cheesy title......this will be quick.  I saw a pretty cool gadget in a magazine I was reading over the weekend (I think it was "body + soul"....one of the many magazines I inherit from my mom) and wanted to share.  Do you have to wait a long time to get into your shower because the water takes so long to warm up?  The person who takes the first shower in our house always has this little chore to take on!  But now a company named evolve has come up with a shower head that stops the water flow once your water turns warm.  You can go about your morning business and when the water turns from arctic freeze to toasty warm, you'll hear the water flow stop.  Then, when you decide to go in, you simply pull the cord and the water flow starts back on full force. 

This would be great for us since our shower is literally in the furthest corner of the house away from the water heater.  They say it'll stop us from wasting the nearly 3 gallons of water per minute that goes down the drain once it's warmed up (but we don't realize it since we're busy multitasking!)...craziness.  

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And also, I've been drooling over this half apron from a pretty cool life.  I think my food would taste better if cooked while I was wearing it, don't you?  ;) 

 

I've made progress on my fabric project, but you know how it goes....sigh.  It's like these kids think I'm just hear to take care of their every need, or something.  GEEZ. 

-k ;)

Drawers In the Bathroom-Heavenly Storage

I can't believe Joe's already installing drawers...I can't believe how much storage we're going to have in the master bathroom.  I can't believe he can (and WANTS) to do all of this woodworking/cabinet making.  I'm so lucky :)

 

(The nail gun/compressor waiting anxiously to get to work.)

(His trusty assistant is always nearby...Townes was there, too, but was too busy building a toilet paper tower to care.)

This was just the test run to make sure his plans were correct.  Stay tuned to see them done and installed!

-k :)

New Bathroom Sinks: Sneak Peak!

Two very late nights and several trips to Home Depot later (I try to tell Joe that it would be faster if he just went himself ;)...both of our new sinks/faucets are installed in the master bathroom: 

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We love them!  We ended up with a Kraus Round White Ceramic Vessel sink and a Brienza Brushed Nickel Swivel Spout Vessel faucet. 

We also decided that we're going to have to paint, afterall.  It was either that or install beadboard (which Joe was kind of excited about because he'd get to use his new nail gun) to cover all the dings and screw holes, etc.  But let's face it: a gallon of paint and some elbow grease is a lot cheaper than installing beadboard...even if it's only on one wall.

Unfortunately, the ceilings are so high it's not a job I can do on on my own.  This weekend Joe will be busy building the drawers and installing the cabinet doors and I'll be sealing the grout and doing some other little things around the master bedroom. 

Hopefully we'll get the paint up soon so we can show you some fabulous 'after' shots

-k :) 

Cheap Art: Napkins

Anyone sick of hearing about our bathrooms?  Me too...the sinks arrived today (they look great--yay!), so things are still progressing.   Just thought I'd post about something else for a change ;) 

Let's talk about inexpensive art.  Okay, CHEAP art.  After Joe and I got together and we starting decorating our own place, I was shocked to learn how much home goods actually cost...I guess since I'd usually depended on hand-me-downs to 'decorate', I had never paid any attention to the cost of curtains or end tables, etc. 

This was especially true when it came to art.  I mean, I knew original paintings were pricey (understandably), but prints and photos, etc.?  Over the years I've slowly learned that it doesn't really have to be that way.  Almost anything can be used as art: a special rock in a frame, your child's coming home from the hospital outfit in a shadow box, a sheet of music that has meaning to you, a poem, a photograph, plates or even a napkin.

A while back I stopped into our local World Market.  The fabric for the place mats and napkins in their kitchen department just really jumped out at me.  Some of the prints looked like works of art. 

I started brainstorming how I could incorporate them into my home.  We rarely have dinner parties, so using them for their primary purpose didn't make sense.  But framing them might work.  So I bought a few that I loved and that fit my home's color scheme and brought them home to experiment. 

I had some frames that needed some "proper" art in the half bath on our main floor (I guess I can't stay away from bathrooms today.)  I fiddled around with the napkins until they looked just right in the frame opening.  I cut them to size, secured them in the frame, and voila!  Instant art.  CHEAP art...I mean, these babies were like $2.99 a pop!  (The frames were not that expensive--if I remember right I got them at Michaels using the 40% off coupons.)  Check them out:

 

So the next time you're out and about and see something that catches your eye--think about how you can use it on the wall or shelf as decoration!  You never know what you might find (especially in the clearance section!). 

-k :)

Bathroom Lighting

No one wants to get electrocuted while installing bathroom light fixtures...there has to be a better way to go ;)  And even when the circuit is in the 'off' position, and Joe's tested the wires to make sure they're not 'hot', it still makes him nervous to wire new light fixtures...I hear that's pretty normal for most DIYers out there. 

He was at it this weekend putting up the lighting for both of the bathrooms.  Here are a few shots of the middle bathroom before the new fixtures:

  

Look what the original light fixture was hiding--quite a sight!  (It was actually worse than this--I had already spackled over 3-4 other holes up there...)

Joe had to do some brainstorming because 1. we figured the old fixtures would probably leave behind some unsightly holes/markings and 2. we didn't want to have to hire an electrician to do any wiring (this would have been an issue in the master bath for sure since we were splitting from one fixture to two).  His solution was to make a 'back board' to match the cabinets and the frame on the mirror and attached the fixtures directly to it.  That way, the wiring would be hidden, as well as any unsightly wall markings.  You can kind of see what he did here (he was connecting the wires that will be hidden behind the board):

Once things got connected and he added some additional support to the wall stud (the fixture with the lights and shades was heavier than we realized):

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(Joe's "custom" solution ;)

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Done deal!

 
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Things were a much the same in the master bathroom, but a little harder because the board held two light fixtures and had to be attached to two studs.  First a shot of him putting the fixtures on the boards in his workshop the garage:

He enlisted the help of some of the little people in the house for the master bathroom lights...

Kate holding the block steady.

Townes and Kate tightening daddy's screws.

 

All their hard work paid off!  I think the fixtures in both bathrooms turned out really well.  The bathrooms are starting to take shape....despite the clutter and dirt that still surrounds us!

You'll have to excuse the dirty mirrors...with two busy toddlers you just have to take the shot when you have the chance ;) 

-k :)