Tuesday, September 24, 2013

An Updated Living Room.



Last week I shared an updated look at my dining room and how it's changed over the last few years. Today I'm continuing this little series by sharing a new look at the living room with photos taken by Rachel Peters Photography.

First, let's have a look back!

Before: 



I remember stripping this wallpaper so clearly. It seemed to be endless. 

Finally painted. A fresh canvas.


The first look that I created for the room. While pretty, I wanted more personality. It changed little by over time with a few new pieces of furniture but mostly with simple decorating choices.


After:


My favorite part is the built in cabinet beside the fireplace which houses the tv and most of my favorite books and accessories. Steph built it into the empty alcove that was once there. 


Painting the fireplace white was a big job but I've never regretted it. 


I have a gallery wall over the sofa with a mixture of photographs, collected and DIY art and etsy prints. The rug was bought from Rugs USA during one of their big sales.



I'd love to replace the chairs that sit in front of the window. They are really showing their wear but are so stinkin' comfortable. Having them reupholstered is hardly worth it when I could likely have new chairs for less. The little Eames rocker is from Wire Furnishings.


Rachel also took a few photos of me at home in my living room. It was time for a new profile photo! Here is one of them.


Hope you enjoyed the look back. It's fun to see how tastes change over time!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wall Mount Sink ~ Yay or Nay?

I've got bathroom renovations on the brain. More specifically, bathroom renovations with space saving solutions. I'm very curious to know what you think of wall mounted sinks.


Freeing up underneath the sink will create a feeling of spaciousness. No? I suppose you'd lose a storage opportunity though and there virtually no counter space. A bit of a give and take.

What are your thoughts? Do you have one in your home? Would you consider it?

An Updated Dining Room Reveal.



Over the last year I've really changed up the dining room from its brown walls and damask wallpaper that were the first look in the room. I've shared bit and pieces of the progress here and there but have yet to share the whole room.

Let's have a refresher and look at the before. My goodness my style has changed! Circa January 2011.



While Rachel was here doing our engagement photos, I also had her take some photos around the inside of the house. I myself take many photos of my home but it's fun to see it through the eyes (or should I say lens) of someone else, especially when that person is a photographer.

Slowly I'll be updating the house tour page with more recent photos. Some are very dated! Things are always changing around here and in not great at keeping up! Here are a few photos of the dining room from Rachel's visit.










all photos courtesy of Rachel Peters Photography

As you can see, much has changed. I've considered many times changing out the curtains for something less traditional but they still work in the room. I also haven't found any new ones or fabric that has me eager to make the change just yet.

Other than that, most everything is different! Here is a breakdown of sources.

The teak dining table and chairs belonged to Steph's family when he was little. You can see the makeover of the chairs here. The larger blue chairs at either end were a vintage find from years ago. I had picked them up at a local motel for $30 a pair and had them reupholstered in the pretty blue fabric. They used to be in the living room and have proved to be quite versatile.

The glossy white cabinet is from Structube and provides a lot of storage which we desperately needed in the room.

The pendant light is the George Nelson Saucer. I've wanted one forever and it's one of my favorite things in our home.

Two black shelves on either side of the cabinet are the Ikea Vittsjo. I am a collector of clutter books and objects so these come in very handy and I change up the styling frequently.

The framed chair prints are from Annechovie. The custom Beaufort portrait is by Kim Roach Design.

The paint color is ICI Meeting House. The same soft neutral used in the living room and hallways of my home.

Next up, the living room!


Monday, September 16, 2013

Birthday Monday.

Today is my birthday. I suppose it's just another day once you are in your thirties but it's always nice to do something a little special to mark the occasion.

I had brunch with a few of my girlfriends on the weekend to celebrate and tonight Steph and I will be going for dinner in Charlottetown. I've been dying to get to Terre Rouge all summer and we are finally going! There will, of course, be with stops at Home Depot and Winners on the way. My kind of night out! 

We got our engagement photos back over the weekend, which was very exciting! This is one of my favorites.


I'll share more another day but I must now go get ready for work. Spending my birthday with my class of 21 grade six. It's only been a few days but I can already tell I'm going to like them :)

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

DIY Inspiration Board ~ Updated.

 

A couple of years ago, I made myself a little inspiration board for my office. I used an old frame, painted it white and placed a piece of foam core covered in cotton batting and a soft blue fabric inside. In the end, my "office" didn't get much use and the inspiration board hung, empty of any sort of inspiration.

A few weeks ago, I was cleaning my fridge (I think I could do it every day with stainless steel.. I was warned!) and decided I much preferred the simplicity of a cleared fridge but didn't want to part with the postcards, notes and photos that littered the surface.

That's when I decided to give the inspiration board a makeover. A fresh coat of bright white paint on the frame and new fabric (from Premier Prints that a picked up a couple of years ago).



I hung the board in the back porch, off the kitchen. It is filled with little items that I don't have the heart to stick into drawers because I love looking at them every day. Or at least whenever I'm in there using the microwave. Now my fridge doors are tidy and I have a more functional and stylish solution. 


So yes, I should have unplugged the microwave for the photo below. I'm keeping it real here! I live in an old house and my plugs are in random locations.


 

You should all send me cards. If they are cute, I'll put them on my board.

Just kidding. Sort of...:)

Thursday, September 5, 2013

DIY Abstract Brush Stroke Art.


A little while ago, I saw this abstract art piece in the gallery wall from Orlando's living room. It was from West Elm and the price was really not too bad. Of course, it also seemed like it would be oh so simple to make your own. I mean it's just brush strokes right? But if you've tried to do your own abstract art, you and I both know it's never as easy as it seems.

We had a large framed canvas hanging in our incomplete bedroom gallery wall and I would stare at it while in bed at night and wonder what we could paint over it to make it work. My thoughts drifted back to the West Elm art but never got around to trying it out.


Little by little, I started to see a few other bloggers who had the same idea and had actually made the attempt. Kristen's at The Hunted Interior was the one that sold me. It looked so fantastic above her green piece of furniture. 


I also discovered Amanda's and Emily's and they were awesome too. Plus, they made it sound super easy! I primed the canvas from my room and then while I was painting the staircase, used the same white paint to give the canvas a couple of good coats of white paint with my roller. Next, I crossed my fingers and simply dry brushed some thick lines with black craft paint. Simple as that.

Here is how it turned out. I'm not sure I would have it on display in my living room but tucked away in my bedroom where only a few critical eyes will see it, I quite like it.



The gallery wall itself is a work in progress. There was no measuring involved and mostly it's things that were in boxes but I wanted on display and found a place there. It needs some tweaking and there are a few spots where there are empty nails but someday it will be finished!


Some of my favorites are:
  • Photo from Steph's grandparent's wedding (very top, black frame). Everyone is so serious and mafia-like. 
  • My sweet mom and dad on their wedding day (top, white frame). 
  • One of my favorite quotes (I carry your heart with me, I carry it in my heart. ee. cummings) 
  • Stephane as a little boy holding his mom's hand (bottom right, white frame.) 
There are more on the other side but when it's all finished, I'll share them all at once. What do you think of my abstract piece among them?

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

An Inspired Green Door.

One of the best thing about blogging is getting feedback from readers. I read every single comment and appreciate every like, retweet and pin. My favorite part is hearing that a project I've completed has inspired someone else to tackle of one of their own.

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from Megan who had come across my green front door on Pinterest. One of my most popular pins for sure.


She adored the color and was determined to paint her own front door the same color. I wrote her back with the color (ICI Calypso Green) and she promised a photo when she finished painting it.

This morning I woke up to that photo and I must say, I think it's pretty awesome. The green pairs so perfectly with the grey paint. Thanks so much for sharing Megan!


Can you believe that I go back to work this morning and I didn't, in all of my 66 days of summer vacation, find time to paint my own front door? An upcoming weekend project for sure! Now I'm thinking I should go back to green.. I do still have some of that paint...

Time to turn on my teacher brain!

Have a great short week!