Happy Birthday Bungalow

You made it, baby!

Nothing Important

Our little house is now a grand old dame! A little bit worse for the wear, but looking forward to riding out the next 100 years in style.

Since it is our house’s birthday I am going to be nice, but there are worse photos I could have used here and here. Our house “before” looking every inch her age.

Our house now…{the same rooms as in the before photos} I hope when I am almost one hundred years old that someone will come along and restore me!

p.s. Our house is a little sad because she wanted a new kitchen for her birthday. Maybe for Christmas?

Comments { 5 } April 25, 2012

My Inspiration Kitchen

Dreaming...

Inspiration, Kitchens


Photo: Lincoln Barbour. Professional photographer Lincoln Barbour has many amazing homes featured on his site. Please be sure to take a look!

A blog commenter recently left the following message, “I look so forward to your kitchen reno. Now 8 years later, has your vision for your kitchen changed?”

Great question! The answer is YES, about a hundred times. But, I have kind-of ended up back where I started. After seeing the kitchen in Lincoln Barbour’s photo (above), I had this feeling of that’s it. This kitchen is everything I love; simplicity and that homey, comfortable vibe that just feels “right”. I appreciate the contemporary light fixture and chairs mixed in with the vintage kitchen. This kitchen is definitely my inspiration kitchen.

Here are some other ideas that I love…


Photo: Pinterest

The vintage sink sitting on the marble countertop is so beautifully done. I love it!


Photo: Pinterest

If I was in the market for a new stove I would get something fun like this blue stove.


Photo: Pinterest

Look at that wall of built-in floor to ceiling storage. I don’t have quite that much room in my small bungalow kitchen, but I dream of storage.


Photo: Neptune

My heart still beats quickly for freestanding English kitchens. I recently discovered the beautiful kitchens handcrafted by Neptune. I really want an island with work space and seating.


Photo: Neptune

Did I happen to mention that I really want an island? The English do kitchen islands so well…

Comments { 1 } March 30, 2012

Happy Valentine’s Day

Love, hearts, roses...and hopefully chocolate

Holidays


Artwork by sarah & bendrix

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
- Charles M. Schulz

Comments { 0 } February 14, 2012

Quiet Spaces

Every house needs at least one

Nothing Important

Introspection

Comments { 0 } December 28, 2011

Wallpaper in the Bathroom

Add pattern and color to a white bathroom

Bathrooms, Inspiration,


Image from Pinterest

Lately, I have been strangely drawn to wallpaper, which is crazy because I know from personal experience just how difficult it is to remove.


Image from Apartment Therapy

I am the same person who adamantly hated wallpaper and swore I would never do that to our beautiful plaster walls. Well, never say never…

I am considering indulging my wallpaper lust, but starting small by hanging it in our tiny powder room.

(more…)

Comments { 6 } November 22, 2011

Bungalow Bedroom Renovation

Ta-Da!

Bedrooms, Before and After

Our bedroom is finished! Out of all the rooms we have completed, I am enjoying this room the most. It feels so nice to finally have a little haven, a place to rest, after basically camping out for all of these years. Why didn’t we do our bedroom first?

The room was in awful shape before with peeling wallpaper and holes in the walls.

This room was my home office for years. How did I ever work in here? Lets face it, the room before is not at all inspiring.

The bedroom feels very warm and inviting now.

(more…)

Comments { 17 } October 31, 2011

What Goes Up Better Not Come Down

How much stress can 1.5 inches really cause?

Nothing Important, ,

See that armoire sitting on the front lawn? It needs to go into that open second story window. It has been determined that the armoire is 1.5 inches too tall to clear the narrow second floor landing. 1.5 inches!

Not to be deterred, these guys have a plan. Um, what exactly is the plan?

Are you sure about this? Because I’m not really convinced this is a good idea.

(more…)

Comments { 4 } October 28, 2011

We’re In

And sleeping on a mattress on the floor

Bedrooms, Restoration Diary

We moved into the bedroom. It is so nice to be out of the home office. Our bed is on back order so we are sleeping on the floor. Even though we splurged on a new queen sized mattress, we still don’t have enough room for the two corgis who keep trying to sneak into our bed during the middle of the night.

The little closet we had built into dead space behind the wall looks like it has always been here. The door, hardware and trim are a perfect match with the original features of our house.

The light fixture is an eBay find. It came from a 1915 bank in Ohio.

The curtains are hung, but still not ironed. David decided that privacy is a little more important than beauty and that we’ll have to iron them later.


Closet door and the bedroom door.

The room still needs to be decorated, but it is so nice to finally sleep in a bedroom that is clean and renovated. Our clothes are hanging in the closet instead of piled inside oversized plastic storage bins.

Big sigh…either of exhaustion or relief!

Comments { 17 } October 24, 2011

Finding Functionality in a Miniscule Closet

With elfa closet system

Restoration Diary, Storage,


Photos taken from both ends of our very small closet.

To say that this closet is a challenge is an understatement. It is very long and very narrow with a sloping roof. We decided to go with an elfa closet solution from The Container Store.

(more…)

Comments { 2 } October 19, 2011

Mauve by Any Other Name

Why is choosing a paint color so difficult?

Bedrooms, Paint, Restoration Diary

My friend asked if I would consider this color mauve. Once she asked that I started liking the color a little bit less and having flashbacks to 1986. Maybe I am in denial, but I think this is a softer, more elegant color. If anything, it is mauve’s third cousin twice removed.

(more…)

Comments { 5 } October 14, 2011