Sunday, August 2, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
From Drab to Fab!
We went down to the beach last night and this morning to check on the progress of the house. It's going great! The bathrooms have been done and they are so cute!
Here are before and after pictures. The bathrooms aren't actually 100% done. More like 90% but the difference is crazy!
After!
Before
Here are before and after pictures. The bathrooms aren't actually 100% done. More like 90% but the difference is crazy!
After!
Before
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I Would Like This
We really want to put on a sleeping porch on the back of the house. I'm not sure if this is in the budget for this year or not. We haven't totally priced it yet, but if we do, I so want a hanging bed. I wonder if it would be as nice as I think it would be. Probably not. But still.
Some Etsy Finds
I just bought these two prints off of Etsy. These were my very first Etsy purchases. I see how I could get addicted!
Sea Siren
Cavalier King Charles
The prints look great now that I've framed them!
Sea Siren
Cavalier King Charles
The prints look great now that I've framed them!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A Budget Beach Kitchen
Ahhh. Marc took his car to get fixed this morning and Gideon is still sleeping. I have the house to myself! This never happens!!!!
So...I am getting more and more excited about the beach house. My mom and I went to a local craft show a few weekends ago and got some cute beachy things like this mermaid painted on an old fence piece. I know I have a tendency to slip into camp, so I'm trying to contain myself...but it's hard! :)
We also got bikes and a bike trailer to pull Gideon, which we've tried out a couple of times around the neighborhood. So much fun! But a slightly flatter terrain might be better...or maybe not...it's a good workout. I even threw Lulu in for a ride.
We go down this weekend to see the next round of progress. This whole renovation thing is certainly easier when you're not doing it yourself...although I really kind of like doing it myself!
I've been a little stuck on the kitchen. Originally I was planning on white cabinets, white or black counters and a black and white vinyl floor. Then I fell in love with the Boomerang formica in aqua, but thought the black and white vinyl would make it look like a 50s diner (see...camp...I can't escape it). I was also worried the black and white vinyl would be a PITA to keep clean.
I grew to love the Tarkett fiberfloors and especially this fake-o cork one that also happens to be really cheap and now I'm thinking I'll go with the fake cork floors and one of the VirrVarr patterns from Formica.
So...I am getting more and more excited about the beach house. My mom and I went to a local craft show a few weekends ago and got some cute beachy things like this mermaid painted on an old fence piece. I know I have a tendency to slip into camp, so I'm trying to contain myself...but it's hard! :)
We also got bikes and a bike trailer to pull Gideon, which we've tried out a couple of times around the neighborhood. So much fun! But a slightly flatter terrain might be better...or maybe not...it's a good workout. I even threw Lulu in for a ride.
We go down this weekend to see the next round of progress. This whole renovation thing is certainly easier when you're not doing it yourself...although I really kind of like doing it myself!
I've been a little stuck on the kitchen. Originally I was planning on white cabinets, white or black counters and a black and white vinyl floor. Then I fell in love with the Boomerang formica in aqua, but thought the black and white vinyl would make it look like a 50s diner (see...camp...I can't escape it). I was also worried the black and white vinyl would be a PITA to keep clean.
I grew to love the Tarkett fiberfloors and especially this fake-o cork one that also happens to be really cheap and now I'm thinking I'll go with the fake cork floors and one of the VirrVarr patterns from Formica.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Phase One
Phase one of the renovations is complete! We went down yesterday and took a look and it was very exciting. The house has been painted. The new sliding door has been placed in the kitchen. The kitchen has been wired and the plumbing has been done for the new layout and the plumbing for my outdoor shower has been put in!
The paint was a giant change and made the house feel clean and open. I am really pleased with the color. I went back and forth over the right white...Sounds very simple but there are so many whites I got a little confused. Ultimately I just went with Behr Decorator's White in the whole house. It looks great and should make touch ups easy.
Here are some pictures, although it just looks like a lot of white right now!
The paint was a giant change and made the house feel clean and open. I am really pleased with the color. I went back and forth over the right white...Sounds very simple but there are so many whites I got a little confused. Ultimately I just went with Behr Decorator's White in the whole house. It looks great and should make touch ups easy.
Here are some pictures, although it just looks like a lot of white right now!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Chair Project
I spray painted these chairs yellow and purple about 11 years ago and they've been sitting in my attic and in my parents' basement since then. My dad was really mad at me when I painted them back then (oops), but they were already painted, so I figured it couldn't hurt to paint them again!
I stopped by the fabric store and picked up some of this cute flip flop fabric and clear vinyl for the top to protect it from spills, and voila....these are some cute beachy chairs!
...Unfortunately...Blogger is not letting me upload photos right now, so I"ll have to come back and post photos later!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Moving Forward
Tomorrow we send the first check off to begin renovations on the house! Yeah! I am so excited. We've been going back and forth on the details--just working everything out--and now we're getting started. The estimated finish date should be sometime around the beginning of April. If it got done before May, that would be great. Just in time to start enjoying the house and the beach.
The couch is under construction too.
Yeah!
The couch is under construction too.
Yeah!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Pretty New Lamps
Here are my pretty new lamps, and my coral lamp from JC Penney that came in the other day!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Fun With Spray Paint
I took some colorful spray paint to some old junky lamps today. The results are pretty fun!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Coming along
We went down to the house again yesterday just for the day. We finalized all our measurements for things. I've been picking up things here and there as I've seen them. I found a really nice wicker settee on Craigslist for $50 bucks and Marshalls had a 15% off sale the other day where I ended up getting four end tables. So I wanted to make sure that everything was going to fit!
We also met with the contractor who is fixing up the house. We know everything we're doing except the kitchen, which we should figure out in the next few days. The big question is whether we will spend the money to turn the kitchen window into a door and build a little deck off the back. It would be really nice. It's all a question of money. (What isn't?)
He also had a great idea for the hall bathroom. He suggested putting beadboard up over the tile to hide it. Then we will rip down the bath surround and put up tile and reglaze the tub. I guess I have to see how much it will all cost--whether that's significantly cheaper than just ripping out the whole bathroom.
I don't think putting beadboard up OVER tile is exactly kosher, but he seems to think it will work.
My fabric came in. It's beautiful. I think the sofas are going to be really pretty.
For color, I think we're going with Benjamin Moore Atrium White. Picking out a white paint is harder than you'd think. There are so many whites! It's confusing. But Atrium White had a tiny bit of pink in it and it seemed to warm up the place. So I think that's the winner. I want to use the matte sheen..which is supposedly a washable flat. The walls are textured and not in super great condition, so I need the flat to hide imperfections. But with a kid and a dog and cat, I need washable.
Anyway, I'm really excited. We walked down to the water again and Gideon was very excited and wanted to go in one of the canoes down there. We had to explain that they were not our boats and it was FREEZING! But we'll definitely do that over the summer. There's also a really nice walking/biking path up the street that goes through the park and the bay is just a few blocks away. Then it's just a short drive to the boardwalk...and there's the water park...and the ampitheater with all the concerts out on the lawn. There's so much fun stuff down there in the summers. I am really looking forward to this summer.
We also met with the contractor who is fixing up the house. We know everything we're doing except the kitchen, which we should figure out in the next few days. The big question is whether we will spend the money to turn the kitchen window into a door and build a little deck off the back. It would be really nice. It's all a question of money. (What isn't?)
He also had a great idea for the hall bathroom. He suggested putting beadboard up over the tile to hide it. Then we will rip down the bath surround and put up tile and reglaze the tub. I guess I have to see how much it will all cost--whether that's significantly cheaper than just ripping out the whole bathroom.
I don't think putting beadboard up OVER tile is exactly kosher, but he seems to think it will work.
My fabric came in. It's beautiful. I think the sofas are going to be really pretty.
For color, I think we're going with Benjamin Moore Atrium White. Picking out a white paint is harder than you'd think. There are so many whites! It's confusing. But Atrium White had a tiny bit of pink in it and it seemed to warm up the place. So I think that's the winner. I want to use the matte sheen..which is supposedly a washable flat. The walls are textured and not in super great condition, so I need the flat to hide imperfections. But with a kid and a dog and cat, I need washable.
Anyway, I'm really excited. We walked down to the water again and Gideon was very excited and wanted to go in one of the canoes down there. We had to explain that they were not our boats and it was FREEZING! But we'll definitely do that over the summer. There's also a really nice walking/biking path up the street that goes through the park and the bay is just a few blocks away. Then it's just a short drive to the boardwalk...and there's the water park...and the ampitheater with all the concerts out on the lawn. There's so much fun stuff down there in the summers. I am really looking forward to this summer.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sofa and Estimate
I ordered the fabric for the sofas and chair today. It was a mess, but I got it ordered. I had to find one of the fabrics on ebay because JoAnn didn't have enough. Waverly is discontinuing it.
Here are the fabrics I chose. The stripe isn't the right one, but it's similar. The green goes on the botton seats cushions of the couches. The pink is on the seat backs of the couches. The cabana print is on the chair and two throw pillows. The stripe is the cording for the couches.
I also got the estimate back from the gentleman who can do the heavy work. The more I thought about how we would do a lot of the fixing up ourselves, the more I realized it would be harder than I thought because of location and our son. So if we can make the numbers work, it would certainly be easier for someone else to do the hard stuff!
...Although I love home improvement projects! I'll meet with my dad tomorrow and talk about numbers and then I'll know better where we stand.
Here are the fabrics I chose. The stripe isn't the right one, but it's similar. The green goes on the botton seats cushions of the couches. The pink is on the seat backs of the couches. The cabana print is on the chair and two throw pillows. The stripe is the cording for the couches.
I also got the estimate back from the gentleman who can do the heavy work. The more I thought about how we would do a lot of the fixing up ourselves, the more I realized it would be harder than I thought because of location and our son. So if we can make the numbers work, it would certainly be easier for someone else to do the hard stuff!
...Although I love home improvement projects! I'll meet with my dad tomorrow and talk about numbers and then I'll know better where we stand.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Hmmm
My plan to recover my parents' old midcentury modern sofas isn't going so well.
I thought it would be a cheap way to get some cool couches, but it turns out that recovering sofas is only cheap if you know how to sew. Which I really don't. I took a few classes last year, but I've already forgotten how to thread the sewing machine and I have no faith in myself--even though I know cushions are EASY. I want welting. And welting is a little harder.
Plus, it's hard to justify when I can go to Value City furniture and actually buy a couch and a loveseat brand new for what it would cost to recover the old couches.
I haven't decided what I'm going to do, but it's kind of annoying.
I thought it would be a cheap way to get some cool couches, but it turns out that recovering sofas is only cheap if you know how to sew. Which I really don't. I took a few classes last year, but I've already forgotten how to thread the sewing machine and I have no faith in myself--even though I know cushions are EASY. I want welting. And welting is a little harder.
Plus, it's hard to justify when I can go to Value City furniture and actually buy a couch and a loveseat brand new for what it would cost to recover the old couches.
I haven't decided what I'm going to do, but it's kind of annoying.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Wallpaper and Fabric
An easy way to get beadboard in your bathroom?
I love this fabric by Waverly but even with a 50 percent off coupon, it's still more than I want to pay. Apparently, there's a Walmart in Ashland that still sells fabric. I'll have to take a look.
I love this fabric by Waverly but even with a 50 percent off coupon, it's still more than I want to pay. Apparently, there's a Walmart in Ashland that still sells fabric. I'll have to take a look.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Clever Outdoor Shower Idea
I have a lust for outdoor showers. This summer we made a "ghetto" outdoor shower in our backyard from a garden stake, a water hose and a nozzle. We even covered it with a shower curtain, but I still felt too weird to really shower out there.
So I really want a nice, outdoor shower at a beach house. And a heated one would be even better! But I don't know if it's in the budget to run the hot water out of the house..we shall see. There are a lot more pressing things to take care of first.
So I thought this idea was pretty clever. This person has rigged a tankless gas water heater through their outdoor shower. It looks cute and seems very economical.
So I really want a nice, outdoor shower at a beach house. And a heated one would be even better! But I don't know if it's in the budget to run the hot water out of the house..we shall see. There are a lot more pressing things to take care of first.
So I thought this idea was pretty clever. This person has rigged a tankless gas water heater through their outdoor shower. It looks cute and seems very economical.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Ideas
Right now I'm leaning toward an IKEA kitchen with the white Applad or Stat cabinets. Stat looks a little more beachy/country with the paneling. I might be able to mix and match them. Stat cost a little more, and we are trying to be VERY frugal.
Stat cabinets
Applad cabinets
Countertops will be dark. The contractor said he'd seen 24 inch granite tiles locally with bullnose edges, but I'll also look at the Ikea countertops when we go up.
Floors will, I think, be black and white checkerboard. I'd really like something like Marmoleum, but the best bet might either be sheet vinyl or ceramic tiles. Water damage from any possible flooding is an issue.
White appliances. We're trying to find integrated washers and dryers to actually put under the cabinets like many kitchen in Europe have.
I did a mock up today of the space, but a lot of layout choices will come down to the cost of moving electric and plumbing. If we can't afford to do much, I think I still have a pretty workable plan.
Bathrooms I'm thinking white beadboard with subway tiles. Very simple, light and bright!
Stat cabinets
Applad cabinets
Countertops will be dark. The contractor said he'd seen 24 inch granite tiles locally with bullnose edges, but I'll also look at the Ikea countertops when we go up.
Floors will, I think, be black and white checkerboard. I'd really like something like Marmoleum, but the best bet might either be sheet vinyl or ceramic tiles. Water damage from any possible flooding is an issue.
White appliances. We're trying to find integrated washers and dryers to actually put under the cabinets like many kitchen in Europe have.
I did a mock up today of the space, but a lot of layout choices will come down to the cost of moving electric and plumbing. If we can't afford to do much, I think I still have a pretty workable plan.
Bathrooms I'm thinking white beadboard with subway tiles. Very simple, light and bright!
Friday, January 2, 2009
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