Family Room Reveal

Here's a quick update on the almost finished product. It's taken a long time to take photos since the moments of the house being quasi-clean, having good lighting, and having the toddler entertained elsewhere are few and far between. It's like a split-second utopia.

Overall, we love the house. We still have some nesting to do, but it will come (right??). The big stuff is complete, and making it ours is a work-in-progress. We are getting there slowly but surely. But, here's where we are today...

the little rocking chair was left with the house. i painted it & B loves having his own "big boy" space in the family room.

Need a reminder of the before? (shield your eyes from the shag carpet!)

The inspiration behind the transformation...

Favorites in this room:

• The black windows. Replacing all of the aluminum-framed casement windows throughout the house wasn't in the budget. Painting them black gave them an INSTANT update and we love it, despite the pain it was to get the painters to finish the job correctly.
• Natural light
• Fireplace - hubs did an amazing job installing the wood cladding. 
• Fireplace surround
• Shelving update - a little trim on the shelf fronts and paint on the rear wall is another instant update
• B's play area isn't as pretty or contained as the Sarah Richardson in me would like, but I wouldn't trade having him a place to hang out for all the designer fabric in the world.

Details:

• Rug: One Kings Lane
• Bench: Antique
• Mantel: Custom reclaimed Douglas Fir
• Fireplace surround: Absolute Black granite, honed
• Fireplace cladding: Custom
• Armoire: Crate & Barrel
• Curtains: Ikea
• Wall hanging: vintage
• Paint colors: see here

Kitchen Reveal

As we near a year on being in our house, it's about time I post some pics of the finished product. Well, almost finished. Between trying to finish some little projects and keeping the house quasi-clean amidst a toddler's endless energy, it's been tough to get photos. Let alone upload them and find time to post them. So, bear with me.

We are really happy with our kitchen, to say the least.

It started ugly, but with a little inspiration like this...

...we went from drab to fab.


We didn't do too much in this room from a structural perspective except remove the peninsula. Knocking down the bulkheads helped to elevate the ceilings and open up the space all around. We removed the pantry and replaced it with floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinets for more functional storage.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Some of my favorites in this room:

• Dual fuel range - this sucker can turn out some yumminess in a jiffy
• Bench storage & window seat - perfect spot for coffee and family meals
• Open shelving - this is uber functional for us and we're surprisingly able to keep it tidy. We love the mix of old & new that this adds, too.
• Marble counters - we languished over this decision a good bit, and we're ultimately really happy with it. More on that coming in a future post. 
• The openness - we originally planned to have a small island in the middle of the kitchen, but we nixed that after living in the space a while. We love being able to dance during dinner prep (neighbors must love watching us) and Burke can spread out his toys to really make quite a mess.

Details:

• Cabinets: Wellborn Shaker full overlay, glacier white
• Countertops: honed Carrara marble, more on that search here
• Shelves: Custom from reclaimed Douglas Fir
• Hardware: Signature Hardware and My Knobs
• Bench: Custom
• Paint colors: see here
• Lighting: Restoration Hardware (over sink) and Ballard Designs (over table)

Renovation: Kitchen Inspiration

I've always dreamed of renovating a kitchen. Making it my very own. No quirks unless I handpicked them. And now, well, it's kinda overwhelming.

We want the finished product to not only reflect our personality & style, but also be true to the time of the home and neighborhood.

A little vintage, a little modern, a little farmhouse, a little utilitarian, a little classic traditional, a little whimsy, with a lot of easy-going comfort.

images via my pinterest board

Expect lots of white subway tile, open shelving, casual comfort. White shaker cabinetry. Antique brass. Reclaimed wood. Carrara marble. Aged steel. Forged iron. A corner built-in eating nook. Wide plank hardwood flooring.

Let's do this.

Renovation: The Before

We bought a house! Woo hoo!!! There's light at the end of this way-too-small-apartment tunnel! Even if the light looks like a terribly dated 40's ranch with tweed curtains and brown shag carpet.

 

We are super thrilled to get into the new house. The large, wooded lot is just around the corner from one of the best elementary schools in town which is actually being demolished and rebuilt, set to open brand new in about 2 years. It's close to everything we love, and is much, much safer than the old digs. The first time we walked through the house, I got "that feeling." Random little things reminded me of the house where I grew up--the attic fan, the rusty glider on the porch, the antique bed that was included with the sale, the garage apartment, and much more. It just needs some TLC. A lot of TLC.

Here's our initial project list and the required "before" photos (sorry for the phone pics):

Kitchen:

• Install hardwoods
• Remove the peninsula 
• Demolish bulkhead
• new cabinetry & countertops
• new appliances
• new lighting
• update wiring
• install tiled wall with open shelving
• construct banquette eating area

Secondary Bath:

• Replace floors
• Install new tub/toilet/vanity
• Update all fixtures
• Remove built-in cabinet
• Swap position of toilet & sink to accommodate larger vanity

 Living & Dining:

• Update built-in cabinet doors (in living & hall)
• Remove brown shag carpet
• Install chandelier in dining
• Install can lights in living
• Install ceiling fan in living
• Update fireplace surround & mantle
• Bump-out fireplace to accomodate TV mount & cables in-wall
• Install hardwoods (also in foyer, kitchen, & halls) 

 

Electrical/Mechanical:

• Replace existing radiant heat & boiler with efficient Central Heat (at least Central A/C is already in place!)
• Convert to tankless hot water to make room for master closet expansion
• Bring electrical up to code
• Install can lighting in main living areas, per code

Master Suite:

• Expand & renovate master bath
• Close doorway from master to guest bedroom
• Convert former mechanical room to walk-in closet 
• Remove brown shag carpeting. Install carpet.

 

B's Room:

• Remove shag carpeting
• Install carpet
• Install closet system in large closet
• Convert small closet to reading/play nook

Guest Room:

• Paint wood paneling
• Close & patch secondary opening
• Install closet system

Miscellaneous:

• Update laundry space
• Repair windows as needed
• Updated moldings throughout
• Sheetrock repair throughout
• Update paint & finishes throughout
• Replace interior doors

You may notice a lot of furniture in the house. We inherited it with the house and are still figuring out what we'll keep, sell, and donate. There is definitely a garage sale in our future!

Stay tuned for updates!!!

gran is coming!

we found out on valentine's day that my mom + her hubs are heading our way this weekend. they're looking for some stuff for their house reno, so it'll be a fun weekend of shopping [and spending someone else's money].

they are re-doing their 60s ranch...i swear i told y'all about it but now the post is MIA. photos, inspiration, and all. ugh.


do any of you locals have any recommendations of where to shop for kitchen & bath materials? my mom wants a showroom where she can touch & feel & see the items up close before she orders them. being from a small town, the only local option is a box store without much selection. some things we're looking for:

appliances

lighting fixtures

tile

granite

i think we'll hit the 14th street/huff road corridor one day, and then the jimmy carter blvd area another. any suggestions?