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Monday, December 30, 2013

Thoughts as we close 2013

This year brought really good things...
01. We rang in 2013 with really good friends. 
02. Celebrated my 30th birthday in January
03. Many good concerts (attended and participated in)
04. Spring Break in San Fran
05. Graduation from Union University with 2nd Masters
06. Acceptance into University of Memphis Doctoral Program
07. We rented our midtown house (to the most lovely tenants ever)
08. Moved to our new house in East Memphis - A.K.A. #dwh2
09. 4th of July in DC on the choir tour
010. Second summer at Juilliard in NYC
011. Week in Florida before school started
012. SCHOOL STARTED, Yay!
013. First semester of ed doc work - yes it was fun!
014. Great semester of music lessons.
015. Great fall with activities at St. John's and St. Mary's. 
(The hubs and I work for the Saints.)
016. My Family visited from Kansas in June and November. 
017. Geoff's Dad came in December. 
018. Successful programs and services in December.
019. Health and Safety - I should have said it sooner. 
020. Lots of rehab to our beloved #dwh2. 
021. Lots of goodness on the horizon for 2014! 

With that goodness in mind - here is some graphic text/perspective curtsey of Pinterest.








38 hours left in 2013. 
Here comes 2014...and many more! 

(images: via the ol' Pinterest )

#dwh2 : The entry way

I posted a couple days ago about the entry way in #dwh2. Instead of verbalizing a lengthy post. I'll let the photos tell the story.  I went a little crazy using my "Beautiful Mess" appIt is a good one.  The editing options directly on the photo are excellent.

So...here it is...the entry way mid way through the project.







At this point the paneling has been filled/sanded/primed/filled, etc.  The before/during photo gives me butterflies. I am so excited for the entry way to be finished. The bar is also going through this transformation at the same time.  But for now, let's focus on how much brighter the entry way is!

Can't wait to share more photos when it's finished! Stay tuned.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

#dwh2 : Wood Paneling

It is safe to say that we have a hearty dose of dark solid wood paneling in our house. There were actually two positive components to that last sentence (if you can believe it).  1. that the paneling is solid wood and not faux and 2. that it is dark wood. Believe it or not the paneling is pretty, there is just A  LOT of it. 

We have been in the house now for 7 months and it is now time to paint some of the paneling. First up, the entry way and the bar. The entry way is a defined area as is the bar.  Both rooms are near to the living room, which is another space that is covered in paneling.  The bar and the entry do not have as much light, thus they are for sure getting painted as the areas are dark.  So here are some before so we can remember the dark wood paneling in all the 1960s glory.







Friday, December 27, 2013

Thanksgiving Table 2013



It is safe to say that Thanksgiving 2013 as come and gone - we are past Christmas at this point.
#sheesh. This post was saved in my drafts and I never (either/and/or) 1. never finished it 2. remembered that it was there 3. forgot what I was going to say 4. All of thee above.

4 is the likely answer in this scenario. The table was fun. The family was here.  Tasty food was consumed. All good things to be thankful for in 2013. 

Christmas Holiday 2013




Handsome made his annual trip to Kansas. 
He is reporting excellent conditions. 
I always worry he won't want to come back home with us.


 


It's nice to have a little time for R&R and to celebrate the holiday season.
Happy and Merry to all! 
Here comes 2014.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

#dwh2 : Butler's Pantry




We had a "butler's pantry" in our last house and it was lovely. The built ins had been refinished and are in a crisp white finish (which I love). In the previous house the built ins were part of a whole room that was also probably supposed to be the breakfast room - it was between the kitchen and dining room. 
In #dwh2, the butler's pantry is a little hallway that connects the kitchen to the dining room and then also has a door way to the wet bar, which is it's own little space all together. 

Also, if you've read my blog before you know my style, all of these photos are what I like to refer to as "keeping it real"...hehe…no pre photo staging here.  I'm lucky if I can remember to take the photo…let alone stage it pre-renovate. So anyway, when the contractor was here a few weeks ago he worked on both the kitchen and the butler's pantry. The wallpaper came down and the whole space got a fresh coat of white paint.  

We have yet to paint the cabinets.  That's a really tough call for me.  The cabinets are custom cabinets, and yes they are what we could file under vintage, but none the less the wood is still pretty.  So painting them is not a done deal as of now. Right now I'm going to paint/renovate everything else around them and then we will see what we have. 

Now, just the other day I was flipping through Instagram and found this photo that's below. 


(Photo and design via Lance Jackson - Parker Kennedy Living - find on Instagram, it's fab.)

Talk about gorgeous! I love this.  Now, blue is probably not on the palate (like I've said 300 times I am a white paint person).  But MAN…this has me thinking.  It sure is fun to look at.  I really like the mirrored backsplash as well.  That is an excellent idea until you consider the number of other floor to ceiling mirrors we have in the house…so back to the drawing board on that one too!

None the less - way to go on this space.  The lucky key holder to this bar is in for a daily treat!

More on the butler's pantry as things continue to come together.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

#dwh2 : Laundry Room/Hallway

The laundry room at #dwh2 isn't really a room unless you stand still. Rather it's a hallway you walk through on the way to the den or to the pool room or to the 4th bathroom, or to the garage, or to the pantry. So if you stand still to do the laundry (which most people do) it is a room.

Behind those shutter doors are our washer and dryer.  When moving in, the washer and dryer were the only appliance we had to buy (for the time being). We went with our standard LG front load red washer and dryer with pedestal. We had these in our other house and really liked what they did for our clothes, you know...clean them and all. If it's not broke don't fix it, right? And besides, who wants to learn the new buttons (totally kidding)?


Good bye gold paint.

See the door in the wall...That's a fold out ironing board. 
There are two of them in the house. They're lovely. 


This space was finished about a month ago...
More when it's completely finished.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

#dwh2 : New York City Bathroom

We have 4 full bathrooms in #dwh2. This is a good thing, I do not consider it extra work to clean bathrooms, I like having them. So nice to have the space so now worry here. Our smallest bathroom I affectionately refer to as the New York City bathroom. Because, compared to the other 3 bathrooms, it is the smallest. Also, because of the style of the tile, the layout, what's in there, etc.
The bathroom includes a full sized walk in shower, a big section for storage, a potty and a sink. Perhaps the biggest reason for the NYCBR is because it has a frosted window. Much like that of one you'd see that overlooks a stairwell or is next to that of another building (and the bathroom of another). A very fine point of this restroom, it has very tall ceilings. That is always a plus.

So...here it is. Our NYC BR after having the beige, textured wallpaper removed. You are correct to notice that the room has a yellow tone, the lighting also needs to be addressed. Just keeping it real...you get to see what the bathroom really looks like. 








This bathroom was painted 2 weeks ago - can't wait to show it to you. I'm still adding in a few decorative elements. I hope to have it done before Thanksgiving week when my family will be here for a visit.  Stay tuned for the part deux post on the NYC BR.

Monday, November 11, 2013

#dwh2 : The Kitchen

We are 5 months in. 5 months at #dwh2. All bedrooms and 3 of the 4 bathrooms have been painted along with the laundry room, master wing hallway and another hallway by the den. Still to do...the bar, the dining room, the breakfast room, 1 more bathroom, the whole indoor pool area (yikes) and then there's the exterior (maybe this time next year). For now...let's get back to the kitchen. 

Here is a photo from the kitchen (from sometime in the summer). Remember, keeping it real. This is what a kitchen really looks like, yes we use those counter tops, there IS stuff everywhere.


 There is wallpaper all around the top of the kitchen walls as well as a yellow gold colored paper around the sides. I somehow neglected to photograph the yellow gold wallpaper (whoops). Just imagine it being the color of the yellow gold in the print on the patterned wallpaper. Yup, it was solidly 70s. Legit stuff. We were able to salvage the wallpaper up top. There's something sentimental about it after all. It was pictured in the movie. So...yeah we have a pile of it laying around in the house. Maybe frame a piece later on?

 From different angels. There are 3 different entrances into the kitchen. One from the breakfast room (which still has wall paper on it, we may keep that paper though, it's kinda cool). There is an entry from the den hallway, and another entry from the butler's pantry hallway that goes from the kitchen to the dining room (also with an doorway into the bar.



The wallpaper is even in the butler's pantry. So that also got the ax. 





Let's reflect back to the inspiration photo. 

That is the inspiration photo that require no demolition. 

The inspiration photo of what our kitchen could like without replacing/painting cabinets. 
Basically, our same cabinets, stainless steel, my highly desired white walls and the big wildcard...concrete floors. The big question mark includes removing the layers of linoleum on the kitchen floor. That's right...there are LAYERS. More than one. GULP...moving on. 

Time to take the paper down...here we go. 

Taking the paper down was a REALLY big step. It make the walls look much better even though they were then caked in wallpaper paste because there were at least 2 layers of wallpaper in the kitchen. Why in the world would you do that? Seriously!?!? 
While taking the paper down, the contractor undovered a secret door in the wall between the bar and the kitchen. It had been plastered shut and papered over. Again...??? What in the world. Need I say more? NO. Moving on yet again. 


After the day with the wallpaper removal we were left with pseudo white walls.  Remember the wallpaper paste. I was delighted. It really gave us a chance to look at the pretty wood in our cabinets.
Also, by now I'm sure you're noticing the super awesome lighting...yes we are going to address that at some point too. I can, however, understand why these lights are there because the actual light under neath is is very small. So this at least gives adequate light.





In this photo above, you can see where the contractor uncovered the little door in the wall (to the right). It was a really fun surprise to see it revealed. We always thought something was under there, but didn't know what.





Again, here is the inspiration photo.  After removing the wallpaper and painting the walls and ceiling with a new coat of lovely white paint...I feel like we are closing in on having something.  Though, the white walls and wood cabinets don't look half bad with the green floor now.  That won't stop me though on the mission to remove the linoleum....It's going to happen I tell ya!

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