October 2013 – Page 2

Thrift Shop Booty

Published on October 18, 2013October 18, 2013 by Our Humble Abode12 Comments

A few weeks ago, I popped in Goodwill to see if they had anything I needed. I spotted this wicker queen headboard for $15.00. I was on the fence about it, and we have only one queen bed. But, I bought it anyway because I wanted to see it in place.

That place is the guest room. And I didn’t love it. Perhaps if I had painted it a fun color, but not with all the visual clutter on the shelves. Handy Sammy didn’t like it either, so I returned it for store credit.

But I did keep a wooden bull statue Ev picked out.

And a wooden bison Christmas ornament for 79 cents. I just cut the looped string off and nailed it in my mini gallery wall.

And then there’s this beauty. Five bucks, but I didn’t get it. I asked Ben and he said we didn’t need another lone chair, especially one so involved.

I did come home with a chair. This brown vinyl rolling chair is perfect for my desk. Super comfy and in perfect condition for only $3.99!

My first impression (at the store) was to paint it à la Little Green Notebook. Now that I see it in the space, I’m second guessing it. Sure, it would be super fun, but I kind of like the almost leather look. Not with the current orange oak cabinets, but those won’t stay forever. To paint, or not to paint? What would you do?

Tubs, Tile, and Inspiration

Published on October 16, 2013October 16, 2013 by Our Humble Abode12 Comments

I’m seriously chomping at the figurative bit to get started on our bathroom remodel. Hopefully we’ll finalize measurements soon and start ordering and building. Eek, I’m so excited. Want to see what we’re thinking?

The claw foot tub that we pulled out of the main bathroom will go our master. We need to refinish it, and I’m thinking a charcoal gray exterior with gold feet, like this:

Or going all charcoal on the outside, feet included, like this:

Either way I think it will be fantastic. And we’re probably going to use the brass plumbing the tub already has, too.

For the vanity, we want to include warm, dark wood, probably as a countertop. A sleek round mirror and brass hardware accents, like this will tie in the brass tub plumbing.

A semi recessed vessel sink like this one would be perfect with a faucet similar to the photo above.

On the floors, we’re going to the dark side with gray slate (same stuff we used on the fireplace) set in a brick pattern, like this:

Eclectic Bathroom by New York Architects & Designers Incorporated

But in the shower, we want light and bright. What’s better than white marble? Well, white marble set in a herringbone pattern of course! Similar to this, but a smaller tile:

Contemporary Bathroom by Park City Architects & Designers Jaffa Group Design Build

And a barn door to allow space for the tub.

Farmhouse Bathroom by Philadelphia Architects & Designers Moger Mehrhof Architects

If we left the door as it currently is, it would bump into the proposed tub spot. So here’s the proposed floor plan, with a single sink, free-standing tub, and an open shower.

I’m ready to get this party started. By party, I mean demo. Of course more details to come as we make progress.

A huge thank you for all the kind, encouraging words and support on Monday, too! You all are wonderful.

Be Brave

Published on October 14, 2013 by Our Humble Abode20 Comments

I usually try to keep this blog home, improvement, and project related. On occasion, personal life creeps in. Today is one of those days. My 24-year-old sister was diagnosed with stage 3a Melanoma Cancer in March. Sadly, it seems everyone knows someone who is battling or has battled cancer. In honor of the loved ones fighting this monster disease, I’ve created a Be Brave text bubble cut out.

Customize this art piece with a backing color of your choice.

We’re hosting a benefit to help my sister with her ever-increasing medical expenses. All proceeds from the Be Brave text bubble cut outs will be donated to her fund on November 16th.

If you feel like shopping and helping a young lady recover, head over to the shop to get your own Be Brave piece.

Pillow Party

Published on October 11, 2013October 11, 2013 by Our Humble Abode9 Comments

By now I’m guessing you’ve noticed my pillow obsession. But it’s a crazy easy way to quickly change the feel of a room. For this fall, I made (and still have a few in the works) new covers in jewel tones. This diagonal cover was as easy as cutting an eggplant 19 inch square. Then I used a yard stick to make a line across to cut along.

And pinned a 3 inch strip of gray along.

The corner is a darker gray piece. To finish it off, the back is an eggplant envelope back. Another pillow started with the same light gray cotton and I marked a grid on the back with a yard stick. Using embroidery floss, I made small plus signs along the grid. By keeping a 1 to 2 inch tail, then stitching the plus, I could easily tie the loose ends together.

It made a cute, simple design.

For a reversible cover, I used scraps of light gray, eggplant, and dark gray to make a striped envelope closure.

Oh, and the mirror pillow from Sears is awesome.

Thin gold threads hold the mirrors in place, making a great texture and shimmer.

Also, I’ve added custom Sit and Stay pillow covers to the shop.

Now I’m going to finish my living room pillow covers. What pillows are you loving this fall? Target has a really, really fun selection that I’m trying my best to not take home with me.

Outdoor Update

Published on October 9, 2013October 8, 2013 by Our Humble Abode13 Comments

Just over a month ago, our nearly complete freshly landscaped yard took a hard hit of rain, leaving it looking like this:

Thus putting our master bathroom renovation on the metaphorical back burner. Instead, Ben dug out all the muck and crushed limestone. I sorted and washed mud from the rocks.

A new, larger drain to hold up better if this happens again.

And the waterfall pond containers were pumped dry, buckets of sand removed, and repeated until clean.

While it’s annoying to re-do what we just did, we’re lucky we didn’t get water in the house. Actually, we’re super lucky this storm didn’t hit last year, before we started landscaping. Originally, the dirt was level with the sill plate and foundation of the house. Rather than cleaning up a back yard, we could have gutted the basement. Of course we now know to expect the unexpected. Hopefully the new trench above the hill will direct water away from the house if we get another torrential rain.