Days 4, 5 and 6

The last couple days we have been priming and painting. We decided to paint the ceiling a dark grey and the walls a later shade of grey. The woodwork will be white. We still need to finish out the closet before we move furniture back in. The closet will be a "built in" bookshelf. Looking forward to finally unpacking all our books!

Spring Break - Day 2 and 3

The last couple days have been filled with lots of vinyl spackle and sanding! These are my two least favorite things to do, but I am pushing through since Matt is usually the one doing this messy job. I just hope it turns out as smooth as his work!

No good pics except me and Hudson taking a break! He got his hair cut today - he even let the people at Petsmart trim his nails and brush his teeth. That's what his report card said....

Spring Break - Day 1

Project: tear down wallpaper and paint office
Time frame: 1 week

So, we've decided to buckle down and knock out the office before summer so we can focus our efforts on landscaping and painting the rest of the exterior. While Matt was busy doing what normal people do (go to work), I took down all three layers of wallpaper in the office since I'm on spring break.

The walls aren't in too bad of shape. Matt is currently spackling the cracks in the corners of the wall. He is such a perfectionist and detailed-oriented person that the walls come out looking like new when he's finished. There was a big hole in the whole from where an old wall lamp used to be, so he had to fill that in tonight as well.

Tomorrow I am going to get to sanding and smoothing and hopefully painting by Wednesday afternoon! We are going to go with a light grey with charcoal and orange accents. More to come!

Couple pics of the office before we bought the house.

Today's work - no more wallpaper!!

Before and After: The Best of

Slow and steady wins the race, but even I'm a sucker for the shock and awe of before and after photos. Here are a few of our favorites:

Which one is your favorite?

Kitchen: The Grand Reveal

It has been a long, long time coming - but the kitchen is officially complete. Blair's dad came over yesterday afternoon to hang the cabinet and microwave above the stove, and everything worked out perfectly.

In an effort to reuse as many pieces from the original steel set as possible, the only cabinet we had left was not as wide as the microwave. So we improvised and create an asymmetrical shelving area using one of West Elm's white "Chunky Wall Shelves" (we used the same shelves in our bathroom and bedroom as well, only in different finishes). We were afraid it was going to look awkward or contrived, but the effect couldn't have been better. I really think it fits in with the quirky, playfulness of the rest of the kitchen.

(The shelf is a great spot to keep things off our limited counter space. With the addition of some framed art or magnetic knife holder, this nook will be complete.)

My mom also stopped by with the custom-made curtains she put together for us using the leftover material from our dining room chairs. They are exactly what we were looking for and really help to unify the kitchen with the dining room.

(Custom cafe curtains made from the leftover fabric from our dining room chairs.)

(A second set of dual curtains on the back door gives us a little more privacy, and the draft stopper from Stacey is a life saver during the winter.)

Next, we got moving on all of the detail work. Outlet covers and switch plates were reinstalled, the tile and countertops were wiped down again, we installed the kick-plates under the cabinets and handles on all the doors. And after all that was complete, we cleaned the entire kitchen.

(We raised the rack above the new curtains so that our cacti get the sun they need ;)

The result is what we consider "modern vintage." We wanted to create a space that was warm and inviting with authentic elements, but include high-end components and materials that you won't find anywhere else. From the travertine tile floors to the solid walnut countertops to the glass tile backsplash, I think we hit the nail on the head - and we are thrilled with the result.

P.S. - Come see it in person this Saturday!

Tile and a Tree

You know there's a party coming when we go to a pottery sale, cut down a Douglas Fir, hang exterior lights, install curtains in the kitchen, decorate the entire Christmas tree, and install glass tile backsplash in the kitchen all in one weekend. Progress pics...






More photos will be uploaded tomorrow of the fully decorated tree and the grouted tile.

Holiday Par-tay

Chances are good that if you frequent this blog, you've already received a copy of this invite...

But in case you haven't, all of our friends (online and off) are more than welcome to join us for food, drink and dance next Saturday, December 19th starting at 8PM. So bring your holiday spirit and a friend, and celebrate the season with some of the best company in Columbus!

(Click to enlarge.)