Category Archives: Before & After

Mudroom Makeover Brings a Welcome Change

11 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in Before & After, Mudroom

≈ 2 Comments

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Mudroom Makeover, ,

I have a confession to make. This is what my mudroom has looked like for…well, let’s just say waaaay too long. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a travesty if it wasn’t the main entrance people use to my house. I remember when we bought our house five years ago that I was so excited to have such a large mudroom, but then suddenly it became so small. It was small because it became cluttered with every item that entered our house. The jackets that didn’t get changed over properly from one season to the next, the hand-me-downs that were dropped off and the ones that I’d compiled to hand over to the next kid, the tote bags for the grocery store, and just about every other thing you can imagine would come into a house with two small children. It had gotten completely out of control! I finally reached my wit’s end and voila, we have a majorly re-worked mudroom that I now love to look at when I enter the house!

I started by going back to basics. We emptied the space completely and took down all of the shelving. Good news, it really is a decent size space! Then we painted the wood paneling Benjamin Moore Simply White (using the kitchen and bath paint because we live near the water and this room experiences the dampness that goes with that). This turned into a little bit more of a production than I intended, but once you start scraping a little bit of paint, it makes sense to go all the way so all the doors and windows got a makeover too.

I brought in the two chairs that I found at Brimfield last month, and actually their wood coloring and imperfections are what inspired me to go full speed ahead with a nautical mudroom (well, there’s probably a good chance I would have anyway with my track record, but they made the vision clear). I added a wire basket from Marshall’s to gather the kids’ shoes in. Then we hung a series of eight cleats that we picked up at the local ship supply store to hang our severely edited collection of coats (we actually do have two coat closets in the house!) and bags on.

They offer a perfect spot to display our favorite Sea Bags while also making them handy to grab as we’re heading out the door!

I had also picked up some used nautical rope when we were at the consignment ship supply store. You can easily find it new as well, but I like the vintage effect it adds, particularly since the chairs are vintage. I didn’t really have a plan for it and was actually envisioning using it in the garden, but it became obvious that the perfect spot to use it was going to be in this space. I thought about just winding it across the upper molding, but then I decided that spelling out a little welcome to our guests would be more fun and so I created this “ahoy” message for all to see when they walk in the door, and I added a little anchor stencil to ground it better in the space.

It only seemed logical that we post a farewell message on the opposite wall where people exit the house and while “fair winds” might have been slightly more appropriate, my husband and I both preferred the sound and the look of “bon voyage” to send our guests off with well wishes. And because I was able to scoop up so much rope at such a great price I even had enough to create a rope border along the molding around the entire space.

It so much nicer to walk into this bright and fresh space, and perhaps the most unexpected benefit of this makeover is the new view I have from the kitchen when I glance out the door. It’s so much more refreshing to see this space than the mess that once was.

There are of course still several more things we’d like to do in here. I hate the textured tile that is also in our kitchen and catches every bit of dirt (less than ideal for a mudroom). We’re also incredibly tempted to open that awful tiled ceiling up, but while we hope we’d find some nice beams, there’s a good chance that it’s just a mess that we’d have to fix and seeing as it took us this long just to tackle the mudroom at all, I think we’d better wait until we can tackle any problems that arise with that job.

But at least I’ve knocked one more think off my very long to-do list!

If you liked this post on my house, you might like these:
Sneak Peak: Nautical Stripe Staircase
Let There Be Light…at Last!
DIY Headboard and Duvet Cover

Nautical Chic: Sliding Porthole Bathroom Door

05 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Bath, Before & After, Inspiration

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bathroom makeover, Cody Harpie, Ding Shack, nautical door, sliding barn door

sliding barn door with port hole I am envious of Sarah’s punch list.  Mine is so long that I am not sure I would ever get through it.  However, today, we can cross one item off our never-ending list.  The kids room upstairs has been without a bathroom door since our renovation 3 years ago!  We finally hired our friend Cody Harple, from the Ding Shack to design and install a sliding barn door.  The hardware on the door is simple and the mirrored porthole adds a nautical touch that’s totally appropriate since my husband is a sailor and we live by the ocean.  sliding barn door for the bathroom

Sliding barn door with a port hole mirrorI also like the use of a mirror in the porthole instead of a window.  It reflects light from the front window and is already a hit with my toddlers who are already putting the stool up to it so they can make funny faces.  Now if I can just get some photos on my striped wall and door knobs on my closet doors I will feel a little better about the length of my punch list.

If you like nautical decor, then you might like these:
Open House: Amy’s Greenhouse Conversion
Upcycling the Office with a Nautical Touch
Ship to Shore Interiors Overlooking Newport Harbor

Upcycling the Office with a Nautical Touch

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Before & After, D.I.Y., Eco-friendly, Furniture, Home Office, Inspiration

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11th Hour Racing, Atlantic Cup, conference room, Coronet, Dividing Open Spaces, Domino Chair, exposed brick, office, Pallet Furniture, pallet recycle bin, Pocket Doors, reclaimed wood, Recycled Sailcloth, sail cloth, Sail Cloth Decor, screens, Sliding Doors, Steelcase

“We’ve got everything we need right here, and everything we need is enough.”
― Jack Johnson

This year I started working part-time, for my husband’s company.  The first thing I had to do was find them a new office space.  After a bit of hunting I hit the jackpot!  A newly remodeled, open space, complete with exposed brick walls and incredible harbor views! Finding the space took time but was really fun.  Trying to decorate the space to accommodate the needs of five individuals was a bit more challenging.  Thankfully I have some very talented friends, including C&B’s Sarah Fernandez.  After taking a look at the space she helped me come up with some ideas.  I took those ideas and presented them to the bosses who also had creative solutions.  Our work is all about collaboration and I think in this case, the outcome is pretty darn good.

BEFORE:

Wanting to keep an open feel and not have to be stuck in a cubical, we found this screen in the basement of my husband’s sail loft.  Our wood worker, Cody Harple, designed the feet so it would have a free-standing feel to it.

AFTER:

Using reclaimed materials was a must for our office.  We are very conscious about minimizing the use of non-essential materials and maximizing the use of old materials by re-purposing them.  This desk was created out of reclaimed wood from the Coronet.  Cody had created another version of this and we HAD to have one!  Thankfully he had some left over pieces and was able to design a desk that fits our needs.  We can easily have two people working here at the same time.

We wanted to have a large recycle bin in the office and this is what we came up with!  Thankfully pallets are very easy to come by and FREE!  The liners are recycled sail cloth from my husband’s sail loft.  They are easy to remove and have rope drawstring handles so we can easily tote the recyclables out of the office.

The conference area presented a greater challenge.  We couldn’t go up to the ceiling and we didn’t want to bolt anything to the wall or floor. Cody came up with this design that can be removed and reinstalled if we ever move, though I hope we never will!  The walls are made of recycled sails and reclaimed wood and are attached by clamping to the structural beams already in place.  The pocket doors slide easily in and out of the frame to create a private room where we can meet with our collaborators (or stash some interns). The conference table is made from wood and carbon fiber.  A homemade cast off from a friend’s former business that used to be my dining room table.

For seating, we ordered the Domino Chair from Steelcase.  They are really comfortable and we love that they can be completely recycled if need be.  It is wonderful to be in a space that is not only functional but unique and fun!  The fine detail work and design by Cody Harple makes each corner of the office a beautiful place to work.  My hope is that after viewing this post, you will challenge yourselves to re-think the norm when it comes to design. We are not all crafty or born with good design sense but we can all be creative.  When our group worked together by putting all kinds of ideas on the table, we ended up with solutions that make every day in the office a good one!

A very special thanks to Miranda Harple for the fine photography.

If you like this post, you might like these:
Translation: Sailor Stripe Shirts at Room Decor
Sneak Peek: Nautical Stripe Staircase Makeover
Knot Nice

Stripes, Stripes, and More Stripes! DIY Stripe Walls

16 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in Before & After, D.I.Y., Inspiration

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

A Touch of Luxe, DIY Stripe Walls, Joanna Goddard, striped walls, stripes on walls, Visit Philly

I adore all things striped and have always thought stripes could add a little fun to any house, be it modern, traditional or country.  I have tried them before and last weekend seemed to be the perfect weekend for a little home decorating.  I found inspiration in these images and decided to go with navy/ice blue stripes in the small hall between my bedroom and the guest room.

The closet doors in my guest room are very plain and I thought they would look nice with a little pattern.  So after measuring carefully, I painted grey and navy diagonal stripes to add some pizazz to the room.

Now all I need are some great door knobs.  A great excuse to go antiquing!

Image Source:

Touch of Luxe, Joanna Goddard, Visit Philly

Sneak Peek: Nautical Stripe Staircase Makeover

15 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in Before & After, D.I.Y., Flooring

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Benjamin Moore, DIY Paint Projects, Nautical Stripe Paint, Nautical Stripe Staircase, Nautical Stripes, Painted Stair Risers, Staircase Makeover

My front hall staircase is what can best be described as blah. I don’t have a problem with the beige paint color, but because we have a classic Cape style home, the staircase is essentially enclosed in the center of the house. There is no beautiful railing (I despise the railing) or light flowing through so needless to say, it needs a major makeover. I’ve been trying to decide what to do for a while. During this same while I was trying to figure out where in my house to paint nautical stripes (because I just can’t get enough of them and I’ve never seen them painted anywhere before). And then the light-bulb went off in my head that the staircase would be the perfect spot as I do majorly love painted stair risers!

The nice thing about doing this on stair risers is that you’ve already got a bottom and top straight line to easily work off of. My risers are 6″ high, and my tape was 1 1/2″ wide. I actually measured the stripes on one of my many sailor stripe shirts to get the proper ratio. And as such I needed a 3/4″ navy stripe to make it work. After I put the top and bottom pieces of tape on, I eye-balled it (because I’m impatient) to center the third piece and get the proper size stripes (and my eye-balls worked just fine I think). You can see there is a small piece of molding between the top piece of tape and the stair tread. That was also painted navy, and to be honest, one of the reasons I laid the pattern out in this order is because I was concerned that once I got the stripes painted that I would want to paint the treads as well so I figured the navy could just be carried over onto the tread if need be.

So I applied the three stripes of tape as well as one on each side so as not to get paint on the molding. One problem I ran into is that I really loved these green stripes. I was tempted to just get the Exacto knife out and trim the tape ends and have green striped stairs. And if you’re in a rental, it seriously might not be a bad option!

But voila! I went ahead and painted them anyway. I used Benjamin Moore’s Old Navy. Unfortunately, my tape did not create quite the clean lines that I wanted despite the fact that I bought the one the paint store told me to. There are definitely some spots that need touching up, but there is also something I like about it not being perfect. I’m certainly far from it so why does my staircase need to be. And regardless, every time I turn the corner to head upstairs I’m still surprised by the new look, and pleasantly so. It really makes the space so much more interesting.

But this is just the beginning. That railing has got to go and I’ve got some objects that need to be hung in my new nautical staircase. So stay tuned….

And don’t miss more stripes tomorrow. Amy has also been painting stripes in more than one spot in her house!

If you like this post, then you might like these:
Stripes, Stripes and More Stripes!  DIY Stripe Walls
Les Toiles du Soleil:  A Striped Haven
Translation:  Sailor Stripe Shirts as Room Decor

Mason Jar Art Nook

01 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in Before & After, D.I.Y., Inspiration, Kids

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Mason Jars, nook,

Since I am not a canning expert, or even in the market for a new chandelier, the mason jar craze has been passing me by.  This weekend I finally got fed up with my daughter’s art cabinet being messy and inaccessible.  So I thought I would give the mason jars a try.  I purchased two flats – one of half gallons and one of quarts, both wide mouthed jars.  And, voila!

Upon inspection my daughter said, “Mama, what a great idea”.  Did she know about mason jars, too?  Mason jars do make everything better!

And while I may not be able preserve my foods, I think I’ve just preserved my sanity!

If you like this post, then you might like these:
Mason Jars in the Pantry
Small Cool 2012:  Small Spaces with Big Design
Organize 2012:  Sort, Stack, and Store

Organize 2012: Screens to Hide and Divide

14 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by in Accessories, Before & After, Inspiration

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Apartment Therapy, chalkboard screen, Coco+Kelly, Design Crisis, Jonathan Adler, Junk Market Style, nail head screen, organize, room dividers, screens, shutter screen, Style Files

Open concept living is all the rage.  On one hand it makes spaces feel light and airy for easy living.  On the other hand there is a lack of space definition and exposes everything at first glance.  Consider screens or “room dividers”.  I have used a screen for many purposes over the years:  to define a nook, create a wall when floating furniture (above), and most recently to hide a household eye sore (below).

Our basement is an open area that needs to be a multi-functional space for mudroom, play space, laundry, and storage.  Typical of an unfinished basement there is an oil tank, boiler and an unseemly overflow of household items that need to be stored.  So, I used this bamboo screen to hide the oil tank as well as give the space warmth amongst the cinder block walls and the concrete floor so it feels like a room, not a basement.

Screens are available in many colors and finishes.  Over the years I have been intrigued by this overlooked objet.  Screens are an opportunity to add balance in a space, pops of color, and vertical texture when furniture, window treatments, and art just isn’t enough.  Not convinced?  Check out these spaces . . .

These two nailhead screens add symmetry to the room without detracting from the minimalist design.  Artwork on the grasscloth walls might have been fussy and a design commitment that would take your eye off the furniture.

The use of fabric in this sparse lobby adds a softness, vertical distraction and space definition.  Much like a beautifully cut dress, the fabric tricks the eye by not blocking the light and draws you into an otherwise architecturally devoid room.

The use of the turquoise screen adds color to this room.  It ties together all of the eclectic furniture and anchors the love seat on the large wall.  Maybe not your color, but the effect would be similar with a screen in your signature color.

The shutter style screen echoes the casual decor in the slipcovered sofa and the teak-like end table.  It also minimizes the bump out in the wall and could be used to create an office nook in that part of the room.

This intricate screen is used as a headboard and to hide a door.  A perfect way to add dimension and texture while keeping it serene for restful sleep.

If you’re looking for another place to use your favorite chalkboard paint, then a screen is an excellent use.  Not only can it be functional to display information, but it would be great in a studio, kitchen or mudroom.

And, I couldn’t resist.  This screen on point with color for 2012, and it perfectly hides and divides space.  The ceiling height in this apartment lends to a loft space above the kitchen, and a little privacy for a bedroom is optimal.

So, I propose that you keep yourself open to adding a screen into your space.  Check out yard sales or your favorite shop; take a quick peek online for one that would be perfect in your home.  And, if you are creative, then you can buy an inexpensive screen and reupholster it with our favorite textile for a custom look.

Image sources:  Jonathan Adler, Apartment Therapy, Design Crisis, , Style Files, Junk Market Style, Apartment Therapy

If you like this post, then you might like these:
Mason Jars in the Pantry
Organize 2012: Sort, Stack, and Store
Magazine Wrangling

Cubism Slipcovered

03 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in Accessories, Before & After, Furniture, pillows

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

bean bag cube, Donghia, Donghia's Sophia textile, Pottery Barn Kids, Serena and Lily, Serena and Lily Basket Weave textile, slipcover

If you enjoy changing the look of your space, but do not want to dwindle your decor budget due to a need for a “winter look” or “summer freshen”, then I recommend seeking out pieces that can be modified to suit your mood.  Items that are slip covered are a perfect solution.  This includes pillows, upholstered furniture, and in my home, bean bag cubes (above).

My bean bag cubes are from Serena and Lily – no longer available, but check out Pottery Barn Kids for a similar slip cover version – and are perfect for my Spring/Summer look. (The third one is in a pale blue basket weave textile, but was in another location at the time of the photograph!)  In the Fall/Winter when our Kilim rugs are pulled out to to add warmth under our feet I switch the slip covers on the cubes to compliment this darker, cozy aesthetic.

Using a remnant of Donghia’s Sophia Donghia textile (above), invisible zippers and grosgrain ribbons, I had my talented seamstress copy the original slipcover.  And voila, the bean bag cubes now are perfect for a cozy afternoon in front of the fire place!

Or stacked at the bottom of my stairs out of the way!

DIY Gone Wrong-Herman Miller

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in Before & After, D.I.Y., Furniture

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

chair restoration, , Eames, Herman Miller, spray paint

My grandmother moved out of her house a while back and everything had to go.  I always knew she had some unique furniture and described these chairs to my mom.  She saved them from the dumpster and they have become my latest project.  First I attempted to sand and prime them myself…

Then I thought I would spray paint them in a high gloss paint.  Sadly, my spray painting skills are lacking.  I am all about giving old furniture a new life with paint but I think in this case, I had better leave it to the pros.

Stay tuned for the final result.

If you like this post, then you might like these:
Vitra:  Collectable Iconic Designs
Upholsterd Butaca for a More Traditional Look
DIY:  Crate on Wheels

Before and After: From Tiny Hall to Gallery Walls

30 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in Before & After, D.I.Y., lighting

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Displaying Family Photos, Displaying Kids Art, , Gallery Walls

Come May, we will have lived in our house for five years, but somehow there are still loads of projects that have not yet been completed. It is the result of some sort of combination involving having two small children, little money, and me not being able to find exactly what I want, well at least not at a reasonable cost. But in 2012, I (well my hubby has to play along) have committed to finishing our house! There may be a lot of projects, but they aren’t all huge and so we’ll start with the small stuff. First up, the tiny downstairs hallway that connects my kitchen, bathroom, living room, and basement. There wasn’t really anything wrong with this space until we had a leak from the bathtub upstairs, and the ceiling and wall had to be repaired which meant they needed to be painted and we didn’t have any more of the original paint color.

Here’s a peak at what it looked like before. Well technically the light fixture is also brand new and recently replaced the one that came with the house when it was built in 1948. I was shocked and pleased to find this bubble glass hanging pendant at Home Depot and for under $70 no less. While their products are fine for quality I typically find them to be very run of the mill so I couldn’t believe my eyes when there were dozens of interesting pendants to choose from.

We’ve always had photos hanging in this space, but there were only three large ones. We’ve also long discussed creating a gallery wall, but I didn’t want it to take up a huge wall. One of my most favorite things in people’s homes it to look at all of their photos and especially when they span generations. I decided this was the perfect small space to create the gallery walls because everyone passes through this hallway when they come to our home and it would still allow for the house to feel uncluttered (at least on the walls) because it wasn’t covering a huge space.

The next step was to paint. I decided that I really wanted to photos to be the focal point of the space and so I decided to paint it white. Plus, painting it white really brightened up this small space. Before heading to my local paint store to agonize over which white would be the right white I checked the basement to see what white paint I already had. And can you believe I actually had a color that was just called “white.” It wasn’t “snow white” or “super white” or “white lily.” I went with it.

Next up were the frames and what went in them. I decided I wanted to keep things pretty simple and clean, but I also wanted to be easy to add more frames as we have more photos and artwork to add. So I decided to go with a combination of black, white, and silver frames. The contents of the frames would be a mix of photos and artwork from our kids and others. While it was important for me to get this done. It is not finished and never will be as I expect that it will forever evolve as we add more photographs and found objects. I set it up with blank spaces to fill in rather than centering everything that I had right now. One of the most important things I did (although I have to give credit to Pamela who put up with me through it) is to lay each grouping of frames out on the floor before hanging them. That way I could see which frames sat right together and which photos and artwork worked best together. That is the step that should most definitely not be skipped. And I’m quite happy with how it all turned out…so far.

So what else is on the list for projects to get done this year:

1. Paint and reorganize the mudroom.

2. Replace front door and front steps.

3. Dig up most of the front yard and re-landscape.

4. Renovate downstairs bathroom from floor to ceiling.

5. Replace original light fixtures in front hall and upstairs hall.

6. Paint staircase and replace railing.

7. New chandelier for dining room.

8. Refinish and reupholster dining room furniture.

9. Hang curtains, get new rug, and replace lamps in master bedroom.

9. Hang curtains, paint, and reupholster furniture in my daughter’s room

10. Put the finishing touches on my son’s room.

11. Tile and replace surround of fireplace.

Of course there are the other really important things that need to be done like replacing the roof and adding insulation to the house. Those sadly might have to get moved to the top of the list and then we’ll see what’s left over to try to accomplish the other things on it. But hopefully, having a visual list (and exposing it to the world) will help motivate us to get it all done.

If you like this post, then you might like these:
Our Picks for Pottery Barn’s Best of Summer 2012
Family Photo Gallery Wall
OPEN HOUSE:  Amy’s Greenhouse Conversion