Home Improvement

A Fan of Fans

Published on June 21, 2016June 21, 2016 by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

Ahh, ceiling fans, the most love it or hate it ceiling fixtures in homes. We’ve pulled a few uglies out of spaces, despite their usefulness. This faux wood, detailed, three light version quickly made its way out the door.

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I created a simple fixture made from PVC pipe, wire, and spray paint which has served well over the last few years.

Recently though, Ben mentioned that he’d like a ceiling fan in our bedroom again. It’s so rare that Ben asks for something specific (design wise) so I try to figure out a way to make both of us happy. With the ceiling fan request, I scoured the internet to find something sleek, modern, with a light, that didn’t cost and arm and a leg. I came across this Contemporary 52 inch Brushed Nickel 2 Light fan priced at $135.99 and saved it in an email and continued searching.

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I always save my favorites in an email, just to see if I stumble on something I like better, but I can easily come back to make my decision.

While searching, I saw zillions of options, where I quickly noticed I preferred three-bladed fans most. That’s not to say I didn’t like some with four or more blades. Generally though, ones with more blades felt more traditionally designed or, I don’t know, busy? Spoiler alert, I ordered the one above, we installed it over the weekend, and so far, we’re liking it.

After sharing a photo on Instagram and getting requests for sources, I realized I wasn’t the only one struggling to find a decent looking, affordable fan.

Here’s a round-up of some that I saved in my search, for anyone that’s in the market. First off, ceiling fans with lights.

Sometimes, you don’t need a fan with a light, so if that’s the boat you’re in, here are a few options.

Although our front deck with full covered roof is technically finished, there are still a few things we need to tie up or are considering adding. Ceiling fans are on the list, either a single centered on the middle door or a trio, all centered on the sliding doors.

I’m still researching exactly what I want, but here are my front-runners.

Outdoor fans:

Clearly there’s a lot of variety here, but each is so cool in its own way. I’m leaning toward black, but that 72 inch fan is a beast and I’m sure it can move some serious air. I’ll keep you posted on the decision, but ever so slowly, I’m kind of becoming a fan of ceiling fans. Where do you fall on the subject? I know people in southern areas swear by them, but in our northern climate, they’re more of an option.

A Deck Makeover & Cozy Outdoor Lounge Area

Published on June 3, 2016June 7, 2016 by Our Humble Abode23 Comments

Four years ago, when we bought this house, it came with a large front deck and a paver patio. Without adjectives, both spaces sound lovely. I’m sure the paver patio was beautiful, but the lack of maintenance, weeds, and tree roots took a toll.

Replacing windows and siding was a priority, but before that could happen, we had to excavate a foot of dirt back here, build a low deck, and only then could we hang siding. In home remodeling, each project seems to hinge on another aspect being ready. Though we didn’t want to tackle landscaping first, it did give us a baseline to seamlessly transition siding.

None of that is new, and has been featured several times before. But, there’s another deck that hasn’t been shared since move in, until today. Before getting into the afters, here’s a look at the condition the front deck was in when we took ownership:

In a word, woof. The railing that was so far from code/safety requirements, benches along the edge were uncomfortable and took up useful space, rotting/spongy joists, and splintered deck boards didn’t exactly make this space enjoyable. It certainly had potential, but thanks to other more important projects, we just got around to rebuilding it last summer. Due to the technical aspects, this isn’t a deck building tutorial. Rather, it’s the kind of television makeover before and after without the work, sweat, and wait-surprise!!

Clearly, a lot has changed. Everything, in fact.

We completely demoed the structure, rebuilding to meet or exceed code standards to ensure longevity.

Update: A reader emailed me, wanting to similarly cover an outdoor space, asking if/how much light the solid roof blocks? Since others might have the same concerns, here’s my answer and our rationale why covering the deck was worth it. This entire deck fronts the pool house, not our normal living space. Since it is a pool house, it has 8 skylights, normal windows, and four sliding glass doors that flood the space with light, so the deck roof hasn’t changed the lighting too much. Yes, it’s a touch darker, but totally worth the added usable outdoor living area and not becoming the human version of a roasting marshmallow. That said, I don’t think this is the perfect solution for all outdoor spaces. Before adding a cover, consider the size and orientation of the windows/doors and the room(s) it will potentially darken.

Redwood deck boards are smooth and splinter free, the railing is not only safe, but offers more privacy, not only to the deck, but the (currently nonfunctional) pool inside. At 36 inches tall, the railing still doesn’t block the city/mountain views. Instead, it hides just the street and houses across, even when seated because our house is on a steep hillside. Thanks to the southern, full sun exposure, we decided to add a full roof, keeping the area as cool as possible. When we swapped the dining door placement, we created a four-foot wide walkway off the front.

Over the long weekend, thanks to awesome sales, we picked up two World Market sofas (only $204 each!!) to create a comfortable lounge/seating area. Until this point, this 900 square foot deck housed two grills, the bench in the background and that’s about it.

Last year, while we were rebuilding the deck, I started my search for outdoor furniture and came across a pair of linear wood frame chairs:

That screenshot has been on my phone for nearly a year, and for the life of me, I cannot remember the source. But, I do know that I was instantly smitten, and wanted the same look. Imagine my surprise when I was wandering around World Market and stumbled upon the Praiano set. At $400 per sofa, it wasn’t a bad price, but I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger. Fortunately for me, my patience pair off and I struck when the price dropped to $239.99 plus a 15% off coupon.

After patiently waiting a few months, I became impatient and bought, assembled, and lounged within 24 hours of getting the coupon in my inbox.

Those sleek lines have my heart.

And closely resemble the railing. Haha, I guess I have flock to a distinct style.

The cushions are firm, but not uncomfortable. However, the arms need some cush, so I pulled some indoor pillows from the linen closet to soften the hard wood frame.

For additional greenery, I added two potted Arborvitae trees in the corner of the center bump out. The green seems so much more vibrant against the dark gray siding.

I’m still trying to track down chairs to round out the grouping, since these are standing in from our old, seen-better-days patio set.

Then there’s this sad, mostly empty corner. Again, these pieces are standing in until we have time to build a dining table.

Ben and I have differing visions/layouts for the deck. Mostly because he’d love to build an 18 foot long Last Supper style table to take place of the current lounge area.

While I think that’d be really cool, I think we’re better off putting this corner to use as an extension of the adjacent indoor dining space. Adding an overhead fixture to this area would also be pretty easy with the attic overhang and access. Time will tell, but I’m thrilled to have a cozy place to escape the house to enjoy a book.

Oh, and the deck desperately needs a good wash to get rid of the dust and pollen. In the above photo, the darker area between the furniture is the real color.

Eventually, we want to ‘build in’ the gas and charcoal grills to hide the stands for a polished look.

Laundry Room Progress

Published on May 26, 2016May 26, 2016 by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

In what feels like a never-ending saga, let’s dive into the progress we’ve made in the basement. Specifically, the laundry room. For it’s purpose, it’s a decent sized room at nine feet wide and eight and a half feet deep. We started out with our washer and dryer side by side, below a row of orange oak upper cabinets. Since we immediately ripped out the pet stained carpet, we tossed a rug below to have a less dirty floor to walk on.

Just to the left of the appliances was a big, plastic wash tub and open floor space.

Opposite the washer and dryer was a full wall of dark oak upper and lower cabinets, complete with stunning orange countertops.

Based on the cabinet configuration and the large mirror, we think this room was a designated sewing space for a previous owner. While the room boasted a lot of cabinetry, it wasn’t laid out in the most functional way for our uses.

When we gutted the entire basement, we decided to tweak the door placement to throw more depth to the appliance side. This minor change centered the door on the open floor space, making each side a better depth for what would go on the walls.

After five months of working toward an updated basement, we are nearing our finish line. Let’s take a look behind the pocket door.

We still have the sink, washer, and dryer on the left side of the door, but opted to stack the units to accommodate an upright freezer.

For the most finished look, we built a floor to ceiling panel to block the side of the stack. A 40 inch wide by 24 inch deep cabinet, which will have a sink once we get our countertops, fills in from the side panel to wall.

Above, we opted to skip an upper cabinet, and built two floating wood shelves instead. At eight inches deep, we won’t have to worry about crashing heads, but we still have enough room for laundry essentials. Of course the shelves can also hold a few pretty things to add a bit of personality to even a laundry room.

Over on the other side of the room is a wall-o-cabinets. Sleek white cabinets keep this dark, windowless room from feeling dingy and depressing. At the back of the room is a 5 foot tall by 2 foot wide vacuum/ironing board cabinet.

This leaves us with a 6 1/2 foot long counter space, which will be great for folding, but also getting laundry baskets off the floor.

A pair of upper cabinets gives us ample space to store, well, I’m not sure yet, but whatever we need.

Clearly the bottom drawers aren’t finished, but the shallow tops aren’t actually drawers. Surprise, it’s a pull out drying rack.

To be honest, we don’t have much that can’t go in the dryer, but we didn’t have an option before. Yes, we could have added a pull down wall mount version, but I love that these are discreet when not in use. More than anything, we built the cabinets, so we easily added the option.

Even when fully extended, there’s a little more than two feet of space to get around.

Like the kitchen and master bath, all drawers and doors are soft close. It’s a small feature that is just so nice to have; no more accidentally slamming anything shut.

Before we can call this room finished, we still have a few things to finish up. Two more drawers to build, a cabinet will go above the freezer, a panel to cover the top of the dryer, countertops/sink/faucet to install. Baseboard and crown can go in soon and then it’s fill, caulk, prime, and paint.

Even with those lingering tasks, how about a side by side to show just how far we’ve come in five months.

Guys, we have floors that don’t feel gross underfoot. We’ll have counter space by the sink to actually set stuff like soap. No more mirror to creep everyone out.

Basement Bedroom Plans

Published on May 10, 2016May 11, 2016 by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

Now that we’re nearing the end of (parts of) the basement remodel, I’m determined more than ever to put together a cohesive, inviting, and colorful room. The newly created bedroom will serve as an overflow/more secluded guest room, at least until our kids are old enough to want separate sleeping spaces. Right now, the room looks like this:

She’s all dressed up with nowhere to go. All the trim is painted Simply White and walls are Templeton Gray, both from Benjamin Moore. Carpet has been finalized and ordered, but we’re waiting on install. After that, we can put closet doors on, and get what little furniture we have back in here.

Right now, the only piece of furniture we have is a mattress. Everything else still has to be built/found, but that hasn’t stopped the ideas swirling around in my brain. Some days I want a plush upholstered headboard. Others, I’m brainstorming up a beautiful leather creation. And then there are days I want nothing but a simple wooden headboard. This beauty has stolen my heart (as with many of the other items in the mid century Chairish collection), but it’s two sizes too small for our California King sized mattress.

Even if the size isn’t right, it doesn’t mean I can’t use it as an inspiration/jumping off point to create something like this:

I’ve mimicked the wall, trim, and carpet colors before layering in some of my favorite elements. Neutrals mixed with a few bits of color, but nothing overwhelming. Above the bed, I’d love to frame a turkey tail my father-in-law gave me.

If the final headboard is neutral, I’d love to add in some more color with painted night stands or dressers flanking the bed. These green beauties by The Painted Hive are so fantastic. ;lkuefrlkaseliuth Oops, that was me, wiping the drool off my keyboard. Lamps are still up in the air until I find a pair I love. Sconces are also an option, depending on the size of the night stands I can muster up. Have you noticed the trend? Everything is in flux, each item depending on another to know which way to take the design.

Over the years, I’ve realized I absolutely loathe making king beds with solid colored sheets. Since the dimensions are so close, it always seems like I get the wrong side on and have to start over again. Striped sheets not only look pretty, but the directional pattern is helpful when making a nearly square bed.

When I selected the wall color, I knew I wanted something that wasn’t a neutral, but would easily pair and complement my favorite colors: blues, greens, and mustards. A beautiful, but simple color blocked lumbar pillow in a neutral and mustard colorway is just enough color.

For a bit more green, I’d love to hang a pair of beautiful prints by the ever so lovely Living Pattern shop. I especially like the Pine and Maidenhair ferns.

Depending on how the space feels, I may or may not add a bench at the foot of the bed. If that happens, I’d love a natural linen tufted beauty. At this point, I haven’t had much luck finding pieces I absolutely love. A test of my patience is probably going to happen, and I’m always impatiently waiting.

Carpet Sampling

Published on May 5, 2016May 5, 2016 by Our Humble Abode3 Comments

Choosing carpet isn’t something we’ve done often. In our first house, the only rooms with the cushy stuff were the basement bedrooms. At this house, hardwood and tile are the only flooring types currently installed, but that will change soon. Before we can get to install, we had shopping and serious deliberations to go through. Ironically (or luckily?) carpet is the element Ben and I disagree on most.

At the beginning of our search, I said I preferred patterns created by texture, something like this. A shorter, dense pile that holds up better to foot traffic, with subtle interest from the pattern. All great selling points in my book.

Ben, however, prefers for his carpet to feel, well, like a wall to wall mattress. Thicker + cushier = better. I tease that he’s a princess about area rugs and carpet, and he doesn’t argue against that.

He also wanted nylon fibers, which greatly whittle down the available options. After hitting up several stores, we dragged any and all interesting sample boards home to evaluate.

I nearly had him ready to pull the trigger on the waffle-esque pattern, but then he talked to installers. Always researching, that guy. Turns out, installers don’t really like the pattern, because it takes considerably more time and effort to keep the lines straight. Essentially, the pattern is like tile and grout lines, but can easily be stretched out of alignment. Crooked walls are even more of an obstacle. Unlike tile, as carpet wears the fibers loosen and look saggy, needing restretching down the road. Often times, the wear is not even throughout the room, and certain areas can be stretched up to several inches while others go untouched. For these reasons, a patterned carpet was officially out of the running. Womp, womp, wooooomp.

Back on the hunt for a plush carpet we could agree on. Here were our basic considerations to get to our final choice:

1. Fiber type: In our search we found that the majority of carpets carried are polyester, polypropylene, or a polyester blend. Yes, there are some nylon, wool, cotton and other fibers, but polyester seems to greatly outnumber the other options. Generally speaking, nylon costs more, but is the strongest fiber, thus can handle heavier foot traffic. Nylon carpets hold their twist better, preventing the worn look of frayed ends. For this reason alone, Ben wanted a nylon carpet.

2. Pile length: From my wish list, I wanted a shorter, dense pile to minimize the look of traffic patterns. Just like grass, the longer it is, the more obvious the wear.

3. Face weight: The face weight of a carpet is how many ounces of one yard of actual fiber (not including the backing). To generalize, the higher the weight equals a more dense and better quality carpet. That is, assuming the pile length is the same. If it’s really easy to feel (or even see) the backing, the lower the face weight will be.

4. Coloring: With the carpets we considered, we had the choice between solid or flecked. I immediately eliminated the obviously speckled look, since it’s just not my thing. On the other hand, in some cases, Ben likes the interest it adds.

5. Price: Like all products, there’s a wide variety, covering all ends of the price spectrum. We didn’t set a budget for carpet, instead, we wanted the quality and durability to take priority.

After checking all of those boxes, we had our winner: a nylon, 70 ounce face weight, subtly speckled plush carpet that feels like walking on a cloud.

Of course, there was one last debate-colors. I loved the lighter slightly oatmeal gray, Sharkskin, to keep the rooms feeling bright. Ben, being the more practical of the two of us, liked the darker, more forgiving if spilled on Grey Flannel.

Both are good neutrals and will work, but I really pushed for the lighter, arguing these aren’t high traffic areas. Ben still insisted on the dark, and I gave up the fight. When making so many house design/decor decisions, we’re in 100% agreement. Sometimes, Ben just doesn’t have an opinion (typically when paint colors are involved). Since he so rarely insists on something, I couldn’t argue.

In both doorways, the carpet will butt up to the slate tile, so the darker will allow the color to flow a bit more seamlessly.

The basement has been measured, carpet is ordered, and we’re waiting for it to arrive and be installed. One last step to moving furniture back into these rooms and finishing the laundry and bathroom.