Back to Blogging and Breaking Project Rule #1

Sorry I've been missing in (blog) action for a while.  Things have been busy for me at the office and we had family from Michigan AND California here for a visit last week.  Despite all that, I still couldn't stay away from a project or two (or three sort of?) when I had a moment to fit some work in.   Yes, sadly I broke the most important rule of all home projects- never take on more than one at a time.   I guess that's a bad thing that can happen when you try to attack smaller projects you've had in mind for a while... and then you find they aren't all that small :).   

Anyway, I guess you could say I had project ADD while I've been MIA - that is if you think my acronym use is clever :) -  Otherwise just roll your eyes at that part and I'll just get to the projects which include our sunroom, wood patio furniture, and sadly the tree we planted after the 2011 tornado..  

With all three in progress, I wasn't sure where or which to pick up on and start writing about but I'm sorting out the pics so I can get going on one soon! 

If one of those projects/topics sound more interesting than the others, let me know and I'll jump on that first! 

Hope everyone is having a nice week so far! 

House Tour

Welcome to our lil' 1924 Dutch Colonial fixer-upper!

Take a tour through a few of the rooms we have revamped so far (you don't even have to take off your shoes!).  If you want to get the scoop on the work done in each room, click on the links posted below the photos.  I also had a request to add the paint colors we chose for each room, so that is listed as well.  Enjoy!

*** Note: 6.10.2014 page under construction- trying to make it prettier :) ***

Front Entryway / Vestibule

Click here for all the details of our vestibule update


Living Room

[  Before  ]

[  After  ]

  [  Before  ]

  
[ After  ]

 -Link to all Living Room posts-

Paint brand/ color: Behr Amazon Stone

Master Bedroom 

[  Before  ]

- link to all Master Bedroom Redo posts-

-link to our DIY door turned headboard tutorial-

Paint Brand/ Color: Behr Bitter Chocolate

Spare Room off Master Bedroom

[ Before ]

[ After ]

- Click here to see how my DIY Closet came together -

-  Click here to see how my workspace came together  -

The Dining Room

[ Before ]

 [ After ]

-Link to all Dining Room posts-

-Link to Wainscoting Tutorial-

Paint brand/ color: Behr Sequoia Grove

The Kitchen

[ Before ]

[ After Part 1]

[ After Part II / CURRENT]

Cabinets, Countertops, Paint

- Link to Kitchen Cabinet post -

- Link to Microwave and Stove post -

Paint brand/ color: Behr Sequoia Grove 

The Kitchen Nook

[ Photo Update in progress  3.1.2014 ]
- Link to Kitchen Nook posts -

Paint brand/ color: Behr Sequoia Grove 

Back Entryway

[ Before ]

[ After ]

Paint Brand/ Color: Behr's Sandstone Cove & Polar Bear White

- Link to all Back Entryway posts -

Stairwell

[ Photo Update in progress  6.1.2014 ]

Paint brand/ color: Behr Sandstone Cove

-  Link to all Stairwell Posts  -

Guest Room

[ Before ]

[ Photo Update in progress  3.1.2014 ]

- Link to Version #2 (Lettered Cottage Redo) -
-Link to Version #4-
Paint Brand/ Color: Behr Cumberland Fog 

Upper Level Bathroom

[ Before ]

[ After ]

- Link to Bathroom Redo post -

Paint brand/ color: Behr Raging Sea 

Lower Level Bathroom

[ Before  & After ]

- Link to all "Mini" Bathroom posts -

Paint brand/ color: Behr Cumberland Fog and Rustoleum Chalkboard paint 

 *************

Those are the rooms we have tackled so far, crazy to think we've been here about four and a half years and all that is left to tackle is our office- Stay tuned for that one!

We have even gutted our backyard!  This was by far our most back-breaking project. See all the details of our most painful, labor intensive project to date here!. (Still hurts looking at those pictures, to think it was that hard to just have grass!)

That's the tour for now, we will keep adding once we get these rooms flipped and looking fabulous!

Home Insider Look: Jon & Katie's 1924 Traditional Gets a Modern Mix Update

If you caught my sneak peek yesterday then you already know that I have a VERY special treat for you today!

My very stylish friend Katie and her husband Jon had a housewarming party over the weekend and I was blown away by their stunning home, so much so that I begged her to let me come back and take photos for the blog.  Their home is too gorgeous not to share, I even have some before and after action for you too (squeal of renovation delight!)   Let's get to it!

Jon and Katie decided on their home after realizing they had outgrown their smaller loft in downtown Minneapolis and knew it was time to say goodbye to the city and hello to a bigger space-  still nearby the city though (Alex & I relate to that for sure!). 

They moved into their lovely 1924 traditional colonial style home back in September and transformed the space to fit their style-  and I gotta say after seeing the before & afters, they made some BIG changes rather quickly!

Katie said their style used to be more modern but after moving into their 1924 traditional space they've shifted to a more eclectic look mixing old with new.  Now it's time to take a look!  So I'll stop yammering on and let you ogle all the pics, then be sure to check out the little Q&A with Katie about their house and projects, enjoy!

PS- Since we're in their kitchen, I have to mention Katie's Whole Lovely Life Instagram which features great healthy living recipes including vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, Paleo, dairy-free, grain-free, and I believe more healthy option recipe types!  Click the link to check out all the info, healthy never looked so tasty I tell ya!  If you dig it too, let her know in the comments!

Katie had the same old house small closet solution that I did- turn a small room into a closet!

Couldn't resist throwing in a few pics of this cutie :)

What would you say your home decor style is?

Katie: "It used to be more modern but now that I own an older home my style has shifted slightly more eclectic.  I loved the challenge of taking an older home and putting a bit of a modern swing on it while mixing in older pieces and accessories.  I like to mix high and low to a degree as well or do what I can to make a less special pieces seem more special either by altering them or in how I place or display them.  I also love to make things myself.  Especially art.  For me I want my art to either be created by me or someone I know.  We do have a few purchased pieces which all have a story behind them."

Do you and Jon agree when it comes to decorating? 

Katie: "YES!  Thankfully.  Decor is one thing we don't ever argue about.  He really let's me run with things and offers his ideas along the way.  The ghost chairs outside were his idea!"

What challenges did you run into when it came to decorating once you got into your home?  

Katie: "The biggest challenge for us was working around the spaces and all the windows.  In a loft you have much larger walls with less windows so can put things pretty much anywhere.  With this house we took lots of measurements and had to really plan thoughtfully for our large furniture purchases.  Once we had the pieces the fun part was decorating around them. Another challenge was knowing we wanted everything white with dark floors so we had to be patient while waiting three months just to paint!"

What challenges do you experience living in an older 1924 home?  

Katie: "There is always something to do or replace or a 'next' project.  We took the approach of working like crazy to for a few months to get it completed to where it is today but we still have a list of to-do's both big and small that we want to accomplish in the short and long term.  Also, yard maintenance!  Jon does pretty much does all of it and it's time consuming!  I really miss him when he is outside for hours on end :). You also have to be okay with your husband literally running to Home Depot nightly and sometimes two to three times on a weekend!  Jon is amazing at figuring out how to do things.  I am blown away by all the things he learned to do in such a short period of time.  Some of his projects saved us a ton of money so I will say if you are not adventurous and don't like taking a jump into a ton of different projects it could be challenging to budget everything in."

What advice would you give people when it comes to home decor/ home decor strategy?  
Katie: "I think it's important to find inspiration for your vision whether you look on blogs, Pinterest, retail stores etc.  When you have an idea it's important to find an image of what that may look like in a space especially for your large purchases.  It's also important to think about your budget and what you want to invest in.  Be okay mixing high and low.  There are great pieces that can be found on Craigslist, at Target and Ikea.  For example- the majority of our window panels are from Target and Ikea while the rods are from West Elm.  Also think about what items you have that are special.  So many people store their family heirlooms in their attic or basement.  I love mixing them in because not only are they special and probably have a story but they bring a uniqueness to your space that will be all your own."  

Thank you again Katie & Jon for sharing a look at your wonderful home!

*************************

I know I loved everything but the couple things that stood out to me the most were all the unique light fixtures and their artwork collection- and Katie made a lot of it!  Crazy awesome right?!?  And how fantastic does their wood look with the dark/almost black stain?  Love the fresh take for a black and white look!

Who's feeling inspired to decorate/redecorate now?

What was your favorite part of their home?

Katie & Jon's Home Sneak Peek!

I've got a really, REALLY exciting post in the works and just had to share a sneak peek!

Be sure to swing by tomorrow for a look at my friend Katie and her hubby Jon's totally chic home- and some before and afters!  If you love old home redo action and/or high style decor ideas, you have to see all the pics!

***  Are you intrigued?!  I hope so!   ***

Many more pics to share, see you tomorrow!

Memorial Weekend Pics and My Next Room Project!

Ugh.  It's been hard getting back into the normal swing of things at work after a great four day weekend with our family here visiting.  As you can imagine, we didn't get to much on the house or other DIY'ing but I thought I'd share some pics of all the action from our memorable Memorial weekend- and when I say action I mean it!

We packed in a lot of fun in four days which included barbecuing, back alley kickball, sand+sun at the beach, the Walker Sculpture Garden, water gun fights, horse races, Valleyfair, restaurant visits, and the oh-so necessary Mall of America visit (my nephew could live in that Lego store :) here's a look! 

Random Power Tower fun fact- I had a one month "carnie" run operating the ride at Cedar Point Ohio, no joke! 

Man, I am impressed we (or maybe just me?) had the energy for all that, LOL!  

Anyone else still pooped from the long weekend?

Or is it the summer weather that makes it hard to sit in an office all day?! (Remember winter?!)

I know it's been a while since we've had any project action going on, so are you ready for what's next?! I'm getting started on something in our sunroom tonight!

Stay tuned for updated pics on this space, woo-hoo!  It's not going to look so "blarty-blar" anymore! 

PS- Blarty-blar is just more fun than blah :) 

Feeling Some Retro Wanderlust

It's been a while since I've been able to get out and do some vintage/antique shopping but I got a chance to over the weekend and found a FANTASTIC local shop called Retro Wanderlust in Hopkins, MN.   I had heard about Retro Wanderlust back when I went antiquing in Hopkins with a few co-workers but the shop was closed the day that we were there.  After checking it out, I wish I hadn't waited a WHOLE year to get back there and take a look, the place is AWESOME!

The store's main focus is on 1950's, 60's, and 70's furniture, decor, lighting, and vintage clothes.  Here's a look at some of the goods!

Fun stuff right?  

I couldn't believe they had so many Curtis Jere brutalist sculptures but they were still pretty spendy.  The only items I purchased (surprisingly) were a couple vintage dresses, one of them being the yellow one shown in the above photo minus the white beaded stuff.  I have to alter it a bit but thought it was a cute little steal for $15!  Other than that, I LOVED that campaign desk with gold hardware and that little family of gold armadillos- so cute and quirky!

Which items were your favorites?
Would you go back to get the armadillo family?!  I keep thinking about it, ha!

Authentic Turkish Patchwork & Overdyed Rugs Arrive at Ikea... (Yes- Ikea!)

Earlier today, I took an evil but necessary trip to Ikea to pick up a couple things I needed for an upcoming project.  Thankfully my Ikea experience wasn't pure misery like the last one, mid-day during the week is the way to go if you have to endure Ikea I tell ya!  But that isn't my point for this post, I have to tell you what I found in Ikea's little maze like marketplace- Turkish Patchwork & Overdyed rugs.  Yes, at IKEA!

I dropped my big ol' yellow Ikea shopping bag when my eyes met that gorgeous mountain of authentic, aged, antique Turkish rugs and I zig-zagged my way towards them through sheepskin & slow moving people to get a closer look.

Each one was unique and beautiful for different reasons- The color combinations, the patchwork layout, the faded vs. overdyed look, etc., UH!  They all looked stunning!  I still couldn't believe Ikea had mountains of these things, MOUNTAINS I tell ya!!!!

Sorry for the iPhone pics, I know they aren't the best for showing detail!

Now before you get too geeked and excited, I have to tell you that the prices weren't your typical Ikea cheap.  The range was $79 for a 2'x3', $499 for a 5'x7', and then waaaay up all the way to $2,500 - $4,500 for the largest (I think?).  Considering that they are antiques, I imagine the prices are as low as they can be and it seemed to be pretty fair especially when you consider the prices for some of the other rugs Ikea sells in the same space.  I tried to look them up online but it doesn't appear that they offer them on their website (yet?).

Anyway... I just HAD to share this new development in rugs with you :)  maybe I am being a weirdo, but I thought it was so crazy to see something like this at Ikea!  It's so un-Ikea like right?!

What do you think of Ikea's treasure trove of Turkish rugs?

Would you endure a weekend trip to Ikea to pick one up?

Can You Guess What's Behind Old House Style Door #1 and #2?

A couple weeks ago I shared new photos of our Dining Room along with a view of the room looking into the kitchen and living room.  This was a view I haven't shared photos of before on our blog and I think it cleared up some questions we've gotten regarding the layout/floor plan of our home- but that led to a new question...

What's behind that skinny white door and what's in that smaller white door halfway up the wall?

Here's a look at the full question that Dayna wrote in the post comments:

What a great question!!!  I can't believe I've never talked about those little quirky details in our old house!  So glad you were curious about them Dayna!  Of course I'll share details about those mystery doors, thank you for the fun post idea!

Let's start with the quirkier of the two- the small door halfway up the wall.  Any guesses?!?

If you guess laundry chute, then you WIN!  That little door halfway up the wall is the laundry chute door on the main floor of our house.  I guess it's convenient if you have lots of dirty kitchen towels or table linens to deal with?

I guess we get more use out of the other laundry chute door that is on the upstairs level of our home which sits between the doors to our guest room and office Alex's winter cycling training room...

Because that is where all the wardrobe changes occur, take it off and send it down the chute!

Now back down to the dining room!
Any guesses what's behind that tall narrow door next to our staircase?  If you guessed the actual laundry chute then you WIN - well - you half win because it's also our coat closet.  Ahem, mini and kinda icky coat closet.  It's an odd space, so nothing too fancy about it.

Coats, two-tier shoe rack, wall mounted mail & sunglass storage, and upper shelf for bike helmets & hats, gloves, etc.

As you can see, the chute takes up a good chunk of what could have been (or still could be?) extra storage space for coats and shoes near our front entry.... but who cares!  (sarcasm font)  It's the high-speed highway down to our electric washer and garment wringer in the basement!

Never had taken a photo looking down the chute, so dark & dramatic, sort of like wearing sunglasses while doing laundry?!

Had to make a little joke with that one :) I can't lie, it is a total pain going up and down two floors several times on laundry day - BUT - I don't think I'd ever have the heart to tear out the old school laundry chute since it is an original feature in our little 1924 Dutch Colonial.  I'll just try to look at the upside- I'm doing loads of stairs along with several loads of laundry which seems like efficient multitasking!  

So there you have it, no more mysteries behind those quirky old house doors! What'd ya think?!

Did you guess that little door was a laundry chute?

What about the coat closet?  Waste of space?  

How would you improve the closet without changing the overall small/awkward storage space?

Planting Pretty Things

It's been a gorgeous weekend here in Minneapolis so I was able to start working on some of my outdoor projects/ideas!  Nothing huge yet, just got some pretty flowers & greenery to plant around our deck and in a few planters...

Did you catch Sadie's camouflage action? She getting really good at those "Where's Waldo" moments! 

The little green touches are already making it feel a bit cozier!  I'm just hoping I can help make them grow faster, especially the mandevilla vine, we'll see!  I think my gardening skills are getting better at least considering I used to just kill everything :)  If you have any tips for the mandevilla vine growth let me know!

Did you do any gardening this weekend? 

What did you plant? 

Rainy Day Dreaming for Sunny Days Ahead

I've been feeling some serious rainy day blues this week :( here in Minneapolis it's been chilly, rainy, gloomy, and gray since Sunday - wait - Oh-geeze-crap-no... Is it only Wednesday?!  Okay, sure it's only been four days but honestly it feels like a full seven day week should have gone by!  Time seems to creep by pretty slowly when the morning, afternoon and evening are the same kind of gray I suppose?

In an effort to shake off this rainy day funk, I've been looking for some fun outdoor landscaping, gardening, and decorating ideas.  We can only hope all these April showers mean May flowers and sunny days ahead, right?!  The hubby and I have spent the last few summers cleaning up the look of our yard and deck (along with a post tornado revamp & tree planting) so with all of that back-breaking work behind us, I'm hoping to have a little fun with getting it to have a cozier feel...

Images via Completely Totally Madly | Home Ideas | Real Simple | Flickr | Mrs Sunshine | Tansuo8 | Elle Interior | Randy Interiors

I'm mainly thinking we need more greenery on and around our deck, some kind of pretty outdoor lighting, and perhaps adding some more privacy with climbing vines?  I'm digging those slouchy vintage style chairs & planters grouped in varying heights.  Can't wait to get my hands dirty, come on SPRING!!!! 

I guess it's good to get a head start on my outdoor ideas/to-dos when it is rainy & crummy outside so that I'm ready to go when we get our first warm sunny day- also makes me shutter at the thought of how crazy Home Depot will be on that day but I know I'll still end up there, happens like that every year!   

***   What about you?  *** 

Feeling some rainy day blues too?

Have you started on any outdoor ideas or to-do's?

What other ways have you added subtle outdoor privacy screens/walls?

Our Bathroom's *Beastie* Twin?

Since posting new images of our Mini Chalkboard Wall Bathroom last week, I discovered while doing some random Pinterest cruising that it has a TWIN!  Same size, shape, chalkboard walls (half for ours), and even the same Elfe sink!  Crazy/funny/weird right?

Turns out Mike D. of the Beastie Boys is the owner of this twin-like mini chalkboard bathroom and he shared it while touring the New York Times through his newly renovated Brooklyn Town House.

Loved the simple eclectic look and feel of his place!  Lots of beautiful unique light fixtures too!

Anyway, I found it because I had been noodling (I'm really into "noodling" now) on a paint change on the lower half of the walls.  I thought about making it all chalkboard paint or even doing some black and white striped wall paper.

What do you think?  

Is it time to ditch that baby blue color on the bottom half for all chalkboard paint?

Or should we try some stripes on the bottom half?

It'll be mainly a relaxing weekend for us, my dad's in town for a visit and we'll be catching some Twins vs. Tigers action :)  Fingers crossed my dad won't try to embarrass us- yep we're 29 & 30 years old but he usually reminds us that we're never too old to have dad embarrass us in public :) I'll keep you posted, ha!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Five Year Refresh Week #4: Our Mini Chalkboard Wall Bathroom

Time to finish of our Five Year Refresh week with our last room- Our "Mini" Bathroom!  But first, I must post a warning message regarding the chalkboard painted walls because I took photos of the room with whatever was left written on them.  Ahem, here's the official warning :)

WARNING: The following images feature content on bathroom walls that may be offensive to some readers... also could be hilarious if you are not offended by toilet humor - Anyway - it is not our intention to offend anyone and if you are, our friends did it.  Okay, end warning.

That warning probably made you too curious now, so here is an updated look at our "Mini" Chalkboard Wall Bathroom....

It's been a while since we've talked about it on the blog (sheesh, it was back in 2010!), but this is how it looked when we added the chalkboard paint to the top half of the walls....

I decided to take that empty ornate frame down and replace it with the large letter "Z" I picked up at Junk Bonanza last year.  I figured since that space is soooo teeny-tiny, it would be fitting to have a cartoonish-ly large piece of wall art in there :)

Other than that, nothing much has changed in that room other than the constantly evolving content on the walls :)

Well, that wraps up all the rooms from my Five Year Refresh week!  If you missed any, click the links to see our Living Room, Vestibule, or Dining Room.

Which room had your favorite updated look?

Which one made you miss the old look?

Did our chalkboard bathroom walls offend or make you laugh?

Have a wonderful Easter holiday!  I'm hoping to see our very own chubby Easter bunny again tomorrow!

Five Year Refresh Week #3: The Dining Room

Ready for room #3 in our Five Year Refresh Week?  Let's take a fresh look at the Dining Room from a whole new angle!

Did you catch my Sadie pupper in that photo?! She's stealthy and adorable!

The 'new angle' part is because I don't think I've ever shown a photo of our house from this corner of the dining room looking into the living room and kitchen.  Gives you a new viewpoint on the layout of our house right?  Aside from the new view though, the dining room itself is looking quite different from before!

After we finished up the new look in the kitchen we had to make some changes so that the two rooms flowed together well.  Here's a reminder of how it looked the last time we shared photos of it....

Still fresher and nicer than the previous red paint look, but it still needed a cleaner, simple, slightly more modern touch to match the new look and feel in the kitchen.

So, I made a few changes and I think this style fits us much better now...

Some of the changes you might have caught are the new dining chairs, barstools, and some wall art.  We had been getting a little tired of our dining room table & chairs, but instead of getting a whole new set we decided to get two new chairs (Ikea Nils chair $79.00) for each end of the table to give it a little bit of a new look.

I draped two cowhide skins over the end chairs to add in touch of pattern (and fun?!)

We decided to add barstools (Ikea Franklin barstool $39.99)  as well by the dividing wall to the kitchen because whenever we have guests we seem to gather around there (our Superbowl party is a good example)...

The tough part is that the dividing wall used to be a whole wall with upper kitchen cabinets and it was opened at some point by a previous owner and were were unable to lower the height of that top counter top due to electrical wiring inside the wall (which is maybe why that previous owner kept it at the height?).

So, it is slightly higher than typical bar height but we've been using those two stools like crazy... why the heck did we wait five years to get them?!?!

What do you think of our updated Dining Room space? 

Do you think the looks pairs better with the new look in our kitchen?

What about using new end chairs at the dining table to give it a newer look without a whole new set?

***********************

If you missed any posts from my Five Year Refresh Week, click the links to see room #1 The Living Room and room #2 the Vestibule 

Five Year Refresh Week #2: The Vestibule

Okay, I know I promised a room each day this week so I'm sorry I was unable to get room #2 in our Five Year Refresh Week posted yesterday, wa-wa!  I had a project that needed extra attention come up at work and needed to turn 100% of my focus that'd-a-way for a couple days.  I imagine you'll forgive me.... or perhaps it went unnoticed and I shouldn't be calling attention to it now?!  Ahem, anyway....

It's time for room #2 in our Five Year Refresh Week!  You may remember it's the room I refer to as the "vegetable" but now you can take a look at how we've refreshed the Vestibule since you had seen it last....

The look isn't too drastically different really if you look back...

... and I supposed it is because we've learned and experienced that you can't really fill that small entryway space with much, especially if you intend to use it for coats and shoes :) fills up fast!

The ONE thing we have added is this new Smith and Hawken Woven Wall Organizer with Chalkboard Labels $24.99...

It's genius right!?!  Such an easy way to add wall storage and the look fits in well with any space or decor really.  All the mail we get through that old front door and it's old fashioned mail slot can store in that top cubby and all the doggie stuff (poo baggies, collars, etc.) goes in the bottom.  It's perfect and easy!  Fit right on the hooks we already had in the vestibule too!

Like I said, aside from that addition all else is the same but I have to share a MUCH prettier photo of the vintage light fixture we found at a local architectural salvage shop since I thought the photos in the older post didn't do it justice!

Ugh, that warm copper metal and one-of-a-kind find look still gets me :) 

What do you think of the new wall storage addition?

How about the closer look at our salvaged light fixture?

Promise to be back tomorrow with room #3!!!  Not anticipating any urgent work projects... I hope!  That'd be crummy for a Friday :)  See you tomorrow!

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- If you missed Five Year Refresh Room #1 click here to check out the new look of our Living Room -

Five Year Refresh Week #1: The Living Room

Time to kick off our Five Year Refresh Week with room #1- The Living Room!

The last time you saw it was probably when we had it decorated for Christmas, but before that he last time we shared it was in 2012 when I had updated the look with some blue pillows for spring.

As you can see, things changed quite a bit in this room!  I was trying to bring in some more color and personality, sort of similar to the goal we had in the kitchen I guess?

Overall, I just wanted it to feel more like us and be filled with more of the things we love instead of feeling like a showroom or something.  I guess it's a bit funkier/weirder, but that is us really I suppose :) Here's a look at some of details...

In a nutshell, the main changes are the coral rug, black and white striped dec pillows (Ikea Vargyllen covers $4 each and Lappljung covers $10 each), new wall art/photos, and in preparation for spring/summer we stored our firewood inside the hearth of our fire place- I had seen that look a lot on Pinterest and loved the idea.  Stylish and functional storage, who wouldn't love that?!

For the wall art and photo ledge, we printed and framed photos we had taken during our last trip to Europe and my India/China work trip.  I also added in a hand drawn Tree of Life that I picked up at the Delhi Haat market in India, up close it is sooooo incredibly detailed and gorgeous!

The framed print on the wall (right image above) is the one we found at an antique bookstore in Prague.  Glad we finally got it framed and found the perfect spot in our living room for it!

Last to highlight is this old rattan Ikea chair!  I don't believe they even sell this anymore, we had it in our basement and I decided to resurrect it and paint the legs black (were silver/steel originally).  The black legs made it look a touch more modern I think?  Then, once I layered on the faux sheepskin and black+white dec pillow I was in love :)

I can't lie, I'm pretty smitten with that corner of the living room now! 

That's it for our living room refresh, now I'd love to know what you think, don't be shy!

What do you think of the Living Room's refreshed look?

Do you like the warmth of color we added in the room?

What about the fireplace hearth or photo ledge?  Good changes?

I'll have our Five Year Refresh Week room #2 to share tomorrow!  Hope you'll swing by!

Five Year Refresh Week!

I am back and feeling refreshed from my Michigan style Spring Break!  During my break, I thought of something fun I wanted to share on the blog this week, sort of to honor of our five year house anniversary.  Here's the deal...

You know we've done some BIG room redo's over the past five years but I realized that quite often I change up the decor a lot and don't always share those room changes in a blog post.  So in honor of our five years, I thought I'd share a few rooms and show how we've refreshed the look since they last time you might have seen them on the blog.  Sound fun?  I hope so!

A little blurred-out preview of each room! Can't give it all away :)

I'll be sharing a room each day for the rest of the week and we'll kick things off tomorrow with a fresh look at our Living Room!  Hope you'll be back to check out all the Five Year Refresh Week rooms!

It'll be a fun change of pace around here, I'm excited so I hope you are too!!!

Which rooms are you hoping to see?

Do you frequently change up the look of your rooms too?

Spring Break at the Beach

This week is Spring Break for a lot of folks and like many of you I'm spending it at the beach!  Unfortunately, it is only 50 degrees where I am and the lake is still partly frozen.  Lake Michigan that is...

So no suntanning or salty rimmed margaritas included, just a nice little break from my Minneapolis life back in my hometown visiting with family & friends.

Beach cartwheels were necessary even though it was chilly!

I'm looking forward to visiting with my nephews tomorrow but so far I've been able to soak up lots time with my sister Holly and my niece Brynn!

That little blondie is just the cutest AND she's not afraid of me anymore :) my extra auntie hours paid off!

Hope those of you also on Spring Break are spending it somewhere warmer and if you're at home I hope you get out for some fun with family & friends!  Either way, it feels good to get a break from the normal routine right?

How are you spending your Spring Break this year?

If you aren't hitting a hot sunny beach, what do you enjoy doing (shopping, working on a project, night out with friends, etc.)?

A Look at the New Kitchen Decor and Updated Before & Afters!

I finished adding in all the new little bits of decor so our kitchen update project is all wrapped up!  Well, I guess I should say wrapped up for now.  Who am I kidding, I know I'll continue to change up the decor from time to time :) but as of now this eclectic mix is feeling perfect with our new black and white color scheme!

It's a happy change from the traditional look we had going on before and I LOVE that we can add in any color when it comes to decor- that was pretty much impossible with all that red everywhere!

Here are all the updated before and after photos...

Kitchen paint color: Behr Wheat Bread & Martha Stewart Francesa (both from Home Depot)

Stove alcove paint color: Martha Stewart Francesa (Home Depot)

Nook paint color: Behr Wheat Bread (Home Depot)

I think our kitchen nook is my favorite part!  That space has been a pain in the buns to figure out since the day we moved in five years ago, I never thought I'd see it looking so nice!

We added in two Fintorp wall storage rails ($9.99 each) and coordinating hanging hooks ($2.99/ 5 pack) for storing some of our nicer pots, lids, and wood cutting boards.  I rounded out that wall by hanging our old window frame turned chalkboard vertically and placing our vintage black & white stool beside it.  We decided to keep our hutch/barmoire on the other wall (click here to see how I revamped that $40 hutch found at the Salvation Army!).  Now let's talk about the rugs...

Maybe you already noticed but I did indeed decide to layer two rugs in the nook... and after writing a post asking what ya'll thought of the layered rug idea I know that most of you probably hate it :) The truth is that I got the idea to do it when I was laying those rugs down separately trying to decide which one to go with.  Then when I had one laid over the other still comparing I suddenly realized that it looked right.  So that is what stuck!  I'm sure one day it will change anyway though but I have to say that the two rugs help to sop up all the water that dribbles out of Sadie's mouth after she has a drink from her water bowl :)

The other rug is the Hand-Knotted Kazak rug from Overstock.com that I ended up keeping.  I love how vibrant the color is and thought it brought some warmth into the color scheme.

Some of my other favorite new things are these metal Kalaset espresso mugs ($5.99 / 2 pack) and muted blue Dinera coffee mugs ($9.99 / 6 pack set) from Ikea.

I also found these Threshold salad plates on a random Target trip ($3.99 each) and had to have them!  The pattern on them had an organic handmade look and each one was a little different, love them!

Lastly, we added some wall art above the archway to the nook.  I wasn't totally sure what I wanted to add when it came to the pictures, I thought food related things seemed kind of cheesy- hmmmm, maybe I should have framed just pictures of cheese, I heart cheese :)  but I ended up deciding on a few old map type prints along with a couple photos from our last trip to Europe.  I thought the group we ended up had the right mix of color for the wall.

Well that's it... for now of course!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend everybody and let me know what you think of the kitchen!

What do you think of the new kitchen look?

Which new decor details do you like?

Do you think the two layered rugs look right or just wrong?!

Kitchen Preview Photo!

I just finished up taking photos of our updated kitchen look!  Our black/white paint isn't the only new look in our kitchen now, can't wait to share it all!  I'm sifting through all the photos I took now for the full post, but here's a quick preview pic until then :)

More to come!  Hope you'll swing by again tomorrow for the rest!  

PS- Be sure to weigh in on my Layered Rug idea!  I made a decision before taking the photos so I'm starting to get a sense of whether everyone will like or hate what I did :)

Layered Rugs- Stylish or Stop It?

My Overstock.com rugs arrived last week.  One ended up looking great in our kitchen but sadly the other did not, wa-wa :(  With the floor in our kitchen nook still looking bare and empty, I started sifting through some of the other accent rugs I had at home (I've accumulated a lot in the past 5 years) which lead me to a new idea...

What about layering a couple rugs?  I've been seeing a lot of layered rug looks on Pinterest lately and when done right, I think it is a chic look!

Images via Flickr | Honestly WTF | Sadie & Stella | Erika Brechtel | Uncovet

The thing is, I'm just not sure if it's a look we can pull off or not?  I have a few good candidates for layering into the space....

I'm going to play with them a bit and see if a good look comes together but if it ends up looking like a hot mess I'll just scrap the idea :)

What do you think?

Do you think the layered rug look is stylish?

OR

Should the layered rug look be stopped?