I am fully into the Christmas season - and at a borderline early date. I have both of my  trees up and all the window lights are set to impress (or scare) my neighbors. The last thing on my list is outdoor lights and anything else that might be associated. I was at Lowe's tonight picking up more window lights and gawking at all the trees and decor. It's amazing how they can have 20 options for trees of varying sizes and color ... but only 3 very ugly doormats. In order to prevent anyone from having to buy these tacky doormats, I've rounded up a dozen doormats that Amazon will deliver to you before you can finish that seasonally driven Netflix binge. 1 /  J & M Home Fashions, Poinsettia 2 /  Snowflakes Flocked Coir Mat 3 /  Winter Berries 4 /  Home & More Natural/Green Script Hello 5 / Glitter Santa Belt Coir Door Mat   6 / Aqua Shield Fir Forest Mat, Light Green  7 /  Chalet Diamond Pattern Coconut Fiber 8 /  Christmas Ho Ho Ho   9 /  Two T...
I'm supposed to be writing a post about windows right now but it is just not very inspiring. Windows are super important but I'd rather think of something fun and enticing. So that's how we landed powder rooms. Also known as a half bathroom. Also known as where you run to after speeding into the driving from a real long commute home. The downstairs bathroom might be one of my favorite rooms to think about. It is probably pint sized but you don't want it to be boring and just a place devoid of style and interest. Sure the door will be ajar or shut more than not, but why not make this necessary part of the home just as gorgeous as the front door. Just kidding, the front door obviously wins. When I think about the half bathroom, here are the elements that I consider required: toilet sink mirror But there is still so much room for creativity and options. I've been talking through many bathroom styles with my sister as she is currently renovating their dow...
After this recent post , I got an encouraging email from my architect. If I'm being honest, writing that post was a bit of my way to communicate that I was struggling a bit. That I felt behind. That I needed a reminder to make progress... and that progress wasn't permanent. The phase we are at right now is really about designing a master plan. We are iterating on designs to get the ideal set of plans. And it's great to consistently remember that plans aren't permanent - especially when there isn't a price attached to them yet. It's lovely to think about having a deck off that bedroom... but let's figure out how much that costs. Subsequent to going through this process, I've determined the best way to describe the process is as follows: Generative // No holds bar idea brainstorming. Don't try to organize any thoughts, just get them on paper. Sticky notes are ideal because you can move them around and it doesn't feel permanent. Make a mist...
I am writing this post because I'm falling behind. Two weeks ago I met with my architect Heidi over a preliminary draft of plans... and then I've made little progress since then. It's on me. I was supposed to review the drawings, write on them, make notes, move things around, think about it... and then we meet again. We improve. We iterate. We make progress. But, I had to cancel that 2nd meeting due to work... and I'm feeling nervous about that 2nd meeting. A house isn't done until it's done... but what if I change my mind about that master bathroom setup? What if suddenly moving the kitchen is too much? What if I decide I don't want a free-standing tub? I need to just rip off the bandaid and do it. Make some notes and get started. It's not exactly accurate to say "falling behind" when there is no deadline but in my heart I know that I'm behind. Just like the post I wrote about getting started, I need to do that again. Goals: - ...
Oh shutters! Be still my beating heart. There are many things that I love about my old house - but the shutters are my jam. The current shutters are a majestic and deep shade of green. To add a little more charm, the shutters have little pine trees on them. I think I looked past these shutters for a really long time. I never really noticed them. But when I began to think about renovating the house, the shutters were something that stood out as a "must save". All that being said, how to actually style shutters on a house is a bit of a mystery to me. Thankfully Heidi the architect seems to have some very educated opinions on how to use shutters in this century. I think the main rule that I've gathered is that you only want to use them where it makes sense. You don't have to use them on all the windows. My goal is to use as many of the original shutters as possible. While I hadn't considered changing the color, I also don't think I'll do that. I love...
Recently I completed one of the homework assignments that my designer Heidi gave me: trying on bathtubs. When we were talking about design elements and what I liked and didn't like, bathtubs came up. It went something like this: H: What about bathtubs? Free-standing or built-in? Me: I think free-standing?  <lacking confidence, sounding very questioning> H: Have you used one before? Me: No.... H: You have to go and try them on. Me: You mean sit in them in a showroom. H: Yes, exactly. So, that is how I found myself at a bathtub showroom on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Just to paint you a little picture, I looked like a wet grad student. I was wearing blue running capris, a rain jacket, wet hair, baseball hat, and running shoes. Just the type of person you want to try out all your bathtubs. But oddly enough, when people really want to sell you a bathtub they don't care what you look like. They just ask you to take your shoes off. Done and done. I normally prefer ...
via I'm not sure when I started to fall in love with oriental rugs. I think it was a gradual transition from the over dyed rug trend - then wham... oriental rug love. Wham is clearly a technical decor trending word.  I think what I love most about the rugs is there is so much detail and there is a story behind them. That rug lived in someone else's house before it lived in my cozy reading room. And perhaps someone else already spilled coffee on it so it won't be as big of a deal when I inevitably do it one morning.  After recognizing this as something that I was drawn to, I scoured Pinterest for an hour looking at other uses of oriental rugs. It seems like there are two primary takeaways: 99% of the time they are red and people love to put them in kitchens. I'm quite confident that I am too spill prone to put a lovable rug in the kitchen but I'm sure I'll find some quite cozy place. BTW - the cover image is from this shop that I stumbled on...
A few weeks ago I fell in love. To be clear, I fell in love with an oven. It had french doors and I couldn't imagine my life without it ever again. All of a sudden it was like everything that was ever "wrong" about my experiences with ovens was resolved by simply cutting the door in half. The oven / range decision really has three factors: (1) how much do I  need  for cooking purposes (2) what  helps  me (3) what am I  attracted  to There are other implications of course - like kitchen arrangement, cost, and product offerings. But I've tried to isolate this down to what would make my life better and what can I imagine standing in front of loving crafting my next seasonal tomato dish or poorly melting chocolate. ...
I'm a huge lover of front doors. I love to look at them, decorate around them, and walk through them. That last part? Yeah, I think that's where I'm perhaps a little different than most people. I find it so fascinating that people have these "objects" in their house that they don't use. This can be a fancy sitting area, an appliance, a dining room, etc. I really want to avoid this principle. I want to walk through my front door ... daily. ...
Photo by Jill Howard Design Studio  -  Discover beach style kitchen design ideas If I was to keep a food diary (which I'll never do), people would probably be confused. I really love cooking but also really love having toast for dinner. I consider Kraft Mac & Cheese a delicacy. My go-to snacks are pretzels and goldfish. I have very strong opinions on both. I recently came upon the knowledge that the nutritional facts for whole wheat goldfish and cheddar blasted goldfish were nearly identical. In all of this though, I like to cook. I like to play Spotify slightly loud while I chop vegetables. Sometimes I'll watch Netflix but either way, I'm happy in the kitchen. I like feeling as though the cabinets have order, pulling ingredients out, and lining them up like soldiers near the cutting board. ...
Things are happening. I met with my architect Heidi on Friday for drinks (and eating of course). She told me she will probably have plans in two weeks. TWO MOTHER FLIPPING WEEKS. I am going back and forth between being excited and terrified all at once. But in the meantime, Heidi gave me a few homework items: Kitchen = Figure out what size appliances I want Master Bath = Sit in a standalone tub ...
In general, I like to be really prepared for things. For example when I travel, I maintain printed  and digital  copies of any and all documentation that might even be required. Do you need to see that confirmation for the hotel in Bergen , Norway? Got it. Do you need to know how to potentially cross navigate an Italian train strike ? Got it. So going into my first architect meeting, I came to the conclusion that I was shocking ill-prepared. About an hour before my meeting I googled "how to hire an architect" and learned that the best way to kickoff this dating process was with a project brief. This made perfect sense, I knew in principle what I wanted but really hadn't written anything down. ...
I've done a lot of things in my life. I've swam with dolphins, made bread from scratch, negotiated lower mechanic bills and briefly visited North Korea. Also, other things that qualify me to be a working professional in an office. But, let me tell you... starting a house project is like trying to organize a pile of spaghetti. In my opinion at least. There is no clear way to start, every pile is different. And there is no manual for how to get started because ... they are all different. This problem held me up for quite a bit actually. I was really overwhelmed by where to begin. I knew what some of the major things were that needed to be fixed (septic, electrical, plumbing) - but I felt like I was missing the first real step. ...
Photo by Vivid Interior Design - Danielle Loven - Search transitional laundry room pictures Space isn't infinite in a house. Especially one that was originally built in 1910... and I don't want to expand the footprint. Changing the footprint means needing to ask for permission and I'd like to avoid talking to anyone about permission if possible. Let's limit the headaches. In the interest of space and functionality, it might make sense to combine the "laundry room" and "mud room". This potentially makes sense for a bunch of reasons. ...
Like any big project, I've been delaying the things that are hard and nebulous. But the way to tackle things that are big are to make them smaller. In this specific case, I'm going to make a case for the things that I care about the most... and then slowly work my way through them. In the meantime, here are my goals: Restore the house to a place that is happy and healthy If you were to drive by, you would still recognize the house Add amenities that make it a place for a family Keep it a place that one person can still be comfortable Goals help establish what makes sense and keep the project on track. In my job right now, the primary philosophy is to do the simplest thing first. By this virtue, you only plan for what you know you need right now. Not thinking about what you might need in ten years. A house is not exactly the right place to bring this philosophy into practice - unless you have UNLIMITED money and all the contractors in the world at your disposal. ...
I'm taking on a big project. Big like a house. You can read about it here....