Sliding Door

This was a “One Thing Lead to Another” project that happened after finishing our built-in bookcase in the office. The swinging door had been off for months while the bookcase was being built. In fact, I liked it off. It made the office feel bigger and more accessible. And mistakes of all mistakes, when the bookcase was finished and the swinging door went back on, the bookcase was completely covered by the door! So this happened.

We don’t always get the opportunity to repurpose materials in projects, but we had saved this door for a handful of years with the idea that someday it would work somewhere.

Even though the door is almost always open, we wanted to offer privacy inside and used a spray for a frosted glass finish.

Inside the office: the sliding door and the built-in bookcase.    Plus the gong has a new home 🙂

DIY Built-in Bookcase

This DIY, four years in the making, was a satisfying addition to our two-bedroom home where the second bedroom is an office.

Before: Wasted space. A makeshift bookcase fit in here, but didn’t fill the space nor provide enough storage.

Shelves! Deep and wide, a couple of the shelves are actually doubled up with books now. Also, some room to accessorize! These pictures were taken with the door off as well as door trim that has since been updated. The door, back on now, opens to the inside of the room, essentially hiding the bookcase from view! Next project: Barn door-style door in the hallway to close off the room for privacy when necessary. Funny how one thing can lead to another.  Here’s to 2016 and many more projects and improvements!

DIY Mantle Project

This project has been on the To Do list for more than four years! Its a beautiful feature and an instant focal point when entering our home now. This project was a collaboration with myself as designer, sandpaperer, and painter, my husband for figuring out the technicalities and brut force, and my son with some specialty wood-working skills from a couple of earlier years of working in a cabinet shop.  My son is now a Firefighter/Paramedic, also a 2015 accomplishment! :)

This recent before picture with other house updates: the mantle always struck me as not being in proportion to the brick fireplace. We were in a quandary about what to change and our minds changed quite a bit during the four years.

Taking it way back: our “brand new“ house in July 2011. By the way, the trick to removing soot? Scrubbing Bubbles. 

Detail of the column. Designed in the middle of an isle at the home improvement store while referring to magazine cutouts, holding different trim pieces together to get the look I wanted, and making it uniquely ours.  


Kitchen- help please!

This kitchen project started 2 years ago when we moved in. The kitchen space is great- it’s open to the dining room the living room, donors open concept and that I love.

What I didn’t like so much- the builder grade cabinetry, linoleum flooring, and the ugly color of the countertops, the ugly yellowed florescent light and the breakfast bar… 

Being on a tiny budget we opted for painting the cabinets white & adding hardware to the cabnitry. We bought stainless steel appliances at outlet stores and that helped improve the look of the kitchen. 

I still yet have to update the lighting & the yucky countertops… But what I really want to do? Make the breakfast bar area one large level island… 

I’m just feeling lost with this kitchen… Any suggestions? I really want to love it, help! (Side note All these images are from two years ago)

To paint or not to paint, that is the question.

Hello all!
I haven’t posted in quite a while, first I had a terrible cold, then the flu, then I went to San Diego for a wedding…it’s been CRAZY.

BUT, now I’m back, and I have a design question for y’all!

We live in a fairly small duplex, which we are allowed to paint, but we have to re-paint everything the original color before we leave. Since we may be here as short a time as a year (depending on how long it takes my husband to write his thesis) Evan (my husband) wasn’t too keen on painting. But he did agree to let me paint an accent wall downstairs.

What I’d like to do, is paint the wall that goes from the front door/entry area into the living room. But I can’t decide between a light blue and a light gray!

The entry area can get kind of dark, so I don’t want anything that will make it feel closed in. I also am in the process of sewing a cover for our living room couch that is a light gray. So painting the wall could compliment that.

This view is from the front door looking into the house, so you can see it look darker as you come in. And you can also see the gray couch (although the color isn’t very good in this picture).

What do you guys think? For the two choices I was thinking something like:

Keep in mind that I have no idea at this point if I can get these exact paints, but what I would do is get the closest possible color.

Tell me what you think!

Gallery Wall

Hello all! This is my first post here on HomeLoveStories, and I’m super excited to be here! 

So I’ve been in the process of adding items to this gallery wall for almost a year now. Everything (minus the plate which was purchased and added to the wall today) is a DIY project. I feel like I’m moving at a snail’s pace with this wall, and I probably am. Obviously with the blank spaces it’s not done yet. However, every time I see this wall now that it’s coming together it makes me smile, and proud to have created this spot in my home.  #makeitpretty

I Crafted Today

I made this wall plaque today.  I’m loving the graphic stripes and simple butterfly.  I attached her (yep, she’s a girl) with command strips, so that I can switch this out seasonally.  I’m thinking Christmas trees, shamrocks, snowflakes, although I don’t want to think about any of those right now.  đź™‚ If you’d like a tutorial, here’s a link:  http://bit.ly/1yhcI1Q

Favorite Corner: Kitchen/Breakfast Nook/Area

The kitchen/breakfast nook is more than just a favorite corner in my kitchen.  It has many house-to-home elements to my liking. airy space with sunligh and bay window looking out into the backyard and sunroom; built-in window seat.  The table is one of two and the main table in my house since I gave up a dining room proper.  This area is the most used in my house.  I finally took the pendant that came with the light fixture out and replaced it with a wired basket. Now there is more light in my otherwise dim life.  I recently turned a thrift-store bought bookshelf into an open hutch to shelve all of my china teaware I have collected over the years.  This area gives off an eclectically vintage, cottage, country style with colorful and bright decor.  #favoritecorner

Bada Boom Bada Bead Board

When we first had our KB home built, we fully intended to tile our kitchen backsplash ourselves, but surprise-surprise, life happened. And we just plain hadn’t gotten around to doing it. Hey, tile is no joke. So, we had some bead board left over from another project and in a matter of hours, Hubby had slapped it up on the wall and painted it beige to match our cabinets. Voila! Modern-cottage backsplash! It was a relatively quick and easy project (Read: Hubby did all of the work.) And by George, I think I love it. Wood just instantly adds warmth and character to our builder grade home. No more dark, shadowy wall. Bead board for the win!

Little by little

Ah, the kitchen remodel. You dream about it for months, maybe years, and then it finally comes and get to a point where you wish you had never started. Or, at least that’s what happened to me! Of course then the guilt sets in- I should be so happy for this remodel, so thankful! Yet I’m stressed, tired and overwhelmed. There’s a new delay everyday and the end seems like it will never get here. Until you get your countertops in! Countertops are like the magical, you can get through this, you can push through the rest, pep talk that tired renovators need.

Especially when they’re the gorgeous honed marble you have dreamt of since you drooled over Martha Stewart’s kitchen when you were a little girl. We have list upon list of things to do- trim, painting touch ups, backsplash, more electrical work (seemingly unending in our old house), the trim under the upper cabinets need fixed because they were installed incorrectly and all the hardware and lighting need installed. But- I have a sink! 

I have a dishwasher! And countertops! And a range! This is progress and it feels good. I’ve already prettied up the countertops and the peninsula, knowing full well I’ll have to take everything off 10 times before we’re done, but I don’t care. I have pretty things in my kitchen again and it feels so good. I’m saving those pretty â€śafters” for later and I’ll also share my â€śbefores” too, so you can see the full effect :-)