We gathered favorite photos that we took and turned them black and white. Then we hung them in a grid on the wall to create a collection of art that looks elegant and chic.
Adding A Daybed To The Guest Room
The third bedroom (also known as our second guest bedroom) has finally come together. And not a minute too soon since we’re hosting a gaggle of guests on Friday night. As a reminder, this is the former dining room that we converted into a bedroom by closing off the doorway that connected it to the kitchen (we didn’t miss the dining space since we moved it into our jumbo living room). Lucky for us, the old dining room already had a closet, so other than ripping down the chair rail and switching out the light fixture it wasn’t much work at all (after the doorway was closed by a professional). Here’s a picture of the
Our New Living Room Sofa
The PB Basic is a nice couch, but it’s more expensive and less attractive than the much more affordable versions from Rowe. Hopefully you’ll learn from our mistake.
Oh Christmas Tree
Our house has never looked more festive. We decked the halls (well, more like the living room, the den, and the front door) with all things sparkly and even though it was 82 degrees yesterday (!) it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Our silver themed tree came out really well, and a few strategically placed silver balls made other objects around the house feel totally Santa-ready. My favorite new ornament holder is a giant clam shell from Z Gallerie that John surprised me with for my last birthday. The different toned silver ornaments inside twinkle like oversized pearls- but glass balls also look great in vases, on platters, and even hung from fishing
We’d Like To Thank The Academy…
What better way to ring in our five month wedding anniversary than finding out we won five grand? As many of you know we entered the Remodel, Blog & Win contest by RemodelingMySpace a few months ago. But never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d actually win the $5000 grand prize- especially when the competition was so fierce (there were 46 other blogs in the running). In fact, it seemed like such a long shot that when I requested that we put dinner on hold until the winner was announced, John gently suggested that I shouldn’t “get my hopes up.” So I wrestled to keep them down until the phone rang. And the rest
Our Kitchen Cabinets Are Installed!
And they’re like Brangelina… so gorgeous it’s unfair. The cabinets came a long way today. In fact our installer is done with everything except for that reversed corner cabinet which is in the process of being reordered (and the baseboard, which he’ll put in once that cabinet arrives). He hung the microwave, put up all the doors and the brushed nickel hardware, and added all the crown molding- which really was the icing on the cake. Bellisimo. But enough chatter. Here are the pics. This is the view of the kitchen from the doorway that we widened in the living/dining room: And here’s the right side. We especially love that glass door in the corner-
Done In A Flurry
Richmond got its first taste of winter yesterday in the form of some light snow. Sadly, nothing stuck and life went on unaffected (no snow day for John). Well, mostly unaffected. The precipitation kept the installer inside all day, instead of outside sawing the crown molding and cabinet baseboards. That meant progress was limited to getting the last couple cabinets in, sliding the dishwasher into place and getting 99% of our range hood hung (he still has to add the stainless steel “chimney” which will cover the big pipe that goes up through the ceiling). Admittedly, they’re not the most exciting update pics, but here they go anyway. Note: the dishwasher and hood are still
Our Kitchen Cabinets Are Like Slugs
As in, they take their sweet time. Yesterday was installation day 1, and it didn’t quite go exactly as planned. But then again, nothing in home improvement ever does. It can best be compared to Christmas morning as a child when you can hardly sleep the night before, anxiously awaiting the crack of dawn so you can rip into all of those carefully wrapped gifts from “Santa.” John and I stayed up late and woke up early excitedly chattering about the long awaited installation. Remember, we’ve been completely kitchenless for close to two months (no cabinets, no counters, no sink, no nothing) so imagine our excitement at the prospect of seeing all of our cabinets
Full Laundry Makeover With 4 Simple Things
We created a clean, organized and functional laundry center that looks amazing on a serious budget. Here’s what we did and how we did it.
How To Define An Eating Area With A Pendant Light
Do you have a large living room that could accommodate a dining area? Just drop in a pendant light and add a dining table for a multifunctional space that looks like it belongs there.
Updating Our Bathroom (Third Time’s The Charm)
To be honest, our bathroom probably needs a total remodel (or at least a new tile job and sink), but we thought a refresher was all we could handle during our lengthy (and expensive) kitchen remodel. So we decided (well, I decided, and then coerced John) to paint the blue walls a soothing tan, and to graduate from a dorm room shower curtain (made of plastic) to a fancy-schmancy fabric one (in a grown up white waffle pattern). We also thought it was time to remove our beast of a medicine cabinet (which actually had two lights coming out of the sides of it like arms) and replace it with an updated medicine cabinet with
Making An Easy Dropzone On A Small Wall
We made a mudroom in an empty corner on the cheap and in only a few minutes. It really is easy and you can do it too!