Hall Bathroom – Page 3

Where’d Ya Get That?

Published on July 1, 2010May 25, 2011 by Our Humble Abode33 Comments

Here’s a source list for items in our house. If you have questions about anything, just ask!

Living Room:

Paint: Wicker Chair by Olympic and Behr’s Vermont Cream color matched in Wal-Mart’s Colorplace brand Rug: Flor Sofa: HOM Furniture Chairs: Dolce Lounge Chair from Target End Tables: Dror by Target Lamps: TJ Maxx Curtains: Target Throw Blanket: TJ Maxx Pillow Covers: Hand Sewn Fabric from Joann Bird Candleholder: Target Picture Frames: Wal-Mart, Target, Michael’s Artwork: Custom made by me Front Door: Home Depot Floors: Original Red Oak Hardwood

Living Room Other Side:

Rocking Chair: Lay-Z-Boy (is now in the basement) Desk: Repainted hand-me-down Desk Chair: Target Black Picture Frame: Target Large Frame: Target

Chair: Hom Furniture Mirror: Garage Sale-only $5.00! Candle Sconces: Linens N Things Pillow: I made it. Here’s how.

Entertainment Center:

Entertainment Center: Custom Built by Ben Door Hardware: Home Depot Modern Bar TV: 32″ Vizio from Costco Silver Picture Frames: TJ Maxx B Monogram: Target Candle Holders: Target Clock: Restoration Hardware on Ebay Tall Blue Vase: Crate and Barrel Short Blue Vase: TJ Maxx Wooden Sculpture: Target Magazine Files: IKEA painted Green Books: Used, Barnes and Noble Print: Made by Me Hour Glass: CB2

Dining Room:

Paint: Mistinted version of Restoration Hardware’s Silver Sage (The paint is from Wal Mart and they used the light base. The formula for one gallon is B-37, E-39.5, and T-37. This is the color used in our basement, too. It can look more green in some light) and Behr’s Vermont Cream-both color matched at Wal-Mart Dining Table: DIY Table Chairs: World Market Rug: Flor Curtains: Hand Sewn from Fabric From Hancock Fabrics Fruit Bowl: Thrift Store Plates: Linens N Things and Target Candle Sticks: Target Light Fixture: CB2 Curtain Rod: Wal-Mart Floors: Original Red Oak Hardwood

Guest Bedroom:

Paint: Restoration Hardware’s Sea Green, color matched to Behr and Behr’s Vermont Cream Headboard: Free from an apartment tenant Floral Bedding: Ross Sheets: Linens N Things Blue King Pillows: TJ Maxx Striped Pillow: Hand Sewn from Fabric from Joann Picture Frame: From my Great Grandma Photo: Forsyth Park Fountain taken on our Honeymoon in Savannah, GA White Nightstand: Built by Ben Lamp: Target Clock: World Market Candle Sconces: Bed, Bath and Beyond Curtains: Wal-Mart Curtain Rod: Target Apothecary Jar of Shells: Michael’s Pendant: DIY with coffee filters

Guest Bedroom Other Side:

Mirror: Found in the Trash-from Target Bedside Carafe: Two Glasses from World Market Shell: Target Artwork in the Hall: Family Tree made by Me

Main Bathroom:

Paint: Behr’s Vermont Cream and Restoration Hardware’s Lilac Vanity: Built by Ben out of Maple Drawer Pulls: Home Depot Countertop: Giallo San Francsico Granite Remnant Vessel Sink and Faucet: E bay Mirror: Reused from Remodel Light Fixtures: Home Depot Picture, Frame and Mat: Michael’s Glass Box: World Market Soap Pump: Target Lotion: Bath and Body Works Candles and Jars: Target Purple Towels: Target White Towels: Linens N Things

Main Bathroom Shower:

White and Grey Marble Tile (also on floors): Home Depot Faucet: Delta at Home Depot Shower Curtain: Target Towel Bar and Toilet Paper Holder: Home Depot

Master Bedroom:

Paint: Restoration Hardware’s Bay Laurel and Behr’s Vermont Cream Bed: Custom Built by Ben Coverlet: IKEA Pillow Shams: Linens N Things Throw Pillow: Hand Embroidered by Me Nightstand: IKEA Lamps: Home Depot Clock: World Market Pictures: E Bay Picture Frames: Michael’s Curtains: Wal-Mart Curtain Rods: Wal-Mart

Master Bedroom Other Side:

Mirror: Michael’s Upholstered Bench: HOM Furniture

Master Bathroom:

Paint: Behr’s Vermont Cream and Restoration Hardware’s Bay Laurel Curtains: Wal-Mart Floors: Absolute Black and White Marble from Home Depot Toilet: Kohler Highline from Home Depot Vanity: Built by Ben Countertop: Galaxy Black Remnant Ben Finished Shower Curtain: Target Towels: Target Towel Bar and Toilet Paper Holder: Home Depot Clock: Gift

Boy’s Bedroom:

Paint: Ralph Lauren’s Riesling and Behr’s Vermont Cream Crib: Garage Sale Dresser: Hand Me Down Curtains: Wal Mart Curtain Rods: Home Depot Crib Blanket: Crocheted by Me Sheets: Target Crib Skirt: Target Rocking Chair: Family chair Storage Bin: Tuesday Mornings Mobile: Made by Me Owl: Made by Me Silhouette: Made by Me E and V: Hobby Lobby Pillows: Made by Me

Bed: Hand Me Down Painted Red Bedding: Target Stuffed Animals: Kohl’s Pillows: Hand sewn by me Footprint Art: Inked Feet of my Boys Artwork: Canvas Painted by Me Bookshelf: Hand Me Down

Office:

Paint: Benjamin Moore’s Raisin and Behr’s Vermont Cream Cabinets and Shelving: Custom Built by Ben Countertops: Brazilian Cherry and Carrera Marble Desk Chair: IKEA Desk Lamp: Target Storage Boxes and Magazine Files: IKEA Curtains: Hand Sewn from Fabric from Hancock Fabrics White Marble Vases: Restoration Hardware Small Blue Vase: Target Little Bird: Felt Pincushion from Etsy Picture Frames on Shelves: Target Map Frame: Michael’s Map: Art.com Light Fixture: Home Depot Magnetic Tins: IKEA

Office Bookshelves:

Chair: Target Accent Table: Target Picture Frame on Table: Target White Vase: Target (was a reed diffuser) Storage Boxes: IKEA Brown Frames: Hobby Lobby Art in Brown Frames: My modern portraits Drawing Figure: IKEA Rose Candle Holders: Michael’s, Big Lots and Ross Bird Art: Custom Painted by Me Orange Clock: Hobby Lobby Wire Buildings: Target Butterfly Artwork: Custom Made by Me Globes: Garage Sales and Target Vacation Jars: Hobby Lobby filled with vacation items Books: Barnes and Noble, Thrift Stores and Garage Sales

How To: Prepare for Guests

Published on June 25, 2010May 25, 2011 by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

As you may already know, I am somewhat OCD. I am a neat freak, but not a clean freak. I love to organize things, but hate scrubbing things down. But, I’ve been cleaning like crazy this summer. Why? We have and will have a ton of guests this summer. Two weeks ago, my friend from Portland visited. Last weekend, some friends from Minnesota stayed with us. Some of Ben’s family will visit this weekend. Then I’ll be out-of-town. While I’m gone, my cousin is staying at our house. A few days after I return, Ben’s brother and girlfriend are staying here for a week.

I like our guests to feel at home and have a few little items ready to use. Here are a few things I do, in addition to cleaning, to accommodate our guests.

A comfortable bed:

There are several components to a comfortable bed: the mattress, sheets, blankets and pillows.

Our guest bed is a king sized Sleep Number bed. This allows each guest to customize the bed to their ideal level of firmness or softness.

I prefer to use 300+ thread count white sheets. They’re soft, durable and easy to clean with bleach. Use a fitted sheet to cover the mattress and a flat sheet on top. Place the flat sheet face down, then fold over the comforter or blanket. This will show the detail of the sheets-notice the brown stripe on the sheet? Buy sheets that you would use, not just the cheapest ones you can find.

Keep a weather appropriate blanket or comforter on the bed. You can choose between a duvet or comforter, but make sure it’s right for the time of year. Doesn’t hurt if it’s good-looking, too.

Outfit your bed with four pillows, two medium to firm and two soft. In our case, the king sized pillows are medium and the standard pillows are soft. Having firmness choices will accommodate all guests, whether they sleep on their sides, back, or stomach.

Blankets and Towels:

I recommend keeping at least one lighter weight blanket in the guest bedroom closet. If guests are cold, they can add it. If they are too warm, they can remove the comforter and use the light blanket. I keep a few throw blankets for napping, too. If you have extra pillows, keep them in the guest closet, too. It will free up linen closet space and give your guests more options. Win-win.

It’s a good idea to invest in a set of guest towels. Include at least 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels, and 2 wash cloths. Getting room coordinating colors also helps differentiate from other household towels. You can keep these in the guest closet to keep your guests from searching for towels (or using the pretty ones in the bathroom if you’re like I am).

Storage Space:

Have adequate dresser and/or closet space to store clothes, suitcases and other essentials. We don’t have a dresser, so I keep the closet pretty empty and leave a handful of wooden hangers.

A laundry basket or bag comes in handy for guests staying for more than a few days. I prefer a bag because it takes up less space and I hang it on a hook, even more out-of-the-way.

Speaking of hooks, add one or two the to guest room to hang wet towels. You can choose an over the door system or hang some out of sight in the closet. I love our Urban Outfitters branch hook that hangs behind out guest bedroom door. It’s functional, but it looks so cute when it’s not in use.

Bathroom Essentials:

Keep at least one drawer empty or nearly empty for guests to store their belongings and tell guests they can use that drawer. I also keep q-tips, kleenex, band aids, and assorted pain relievers in this drawer.

I have a love for all things miniature. This happens to come in handy for some guests. I stock up on travel sized items such as shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and brushes, bar soap, lotion, chapstick, and deodorant. I just wander through the travel section of Target and pick up things I use on a regualar basis. I keep a box in the bathroom with all the extras. If someone forgets something, I have a back up ready.

Extra Credit:

Give yourself 10 points if you have any of the following items:

1. Nightlights. I have a few stowed away in the guest drawer. I make sure to plug one in the bathroom. Most adults don’t want one in their bedroom.

2. A nightstand with a drawer. A nightstand is worth 5 points. I keep lotion, kleenex, mints, Tylenol, and a small first aid kit in the drawer. Throw in a bible for the real hotel effect and an extra 5 points.

3. A clock with an alarm. Most people use their phones these days, but it’s nice to have back up.

4. Bedside carafe. I used two glasses from World Market-one tall and skinny and another short, fat one stacked on top. It’s nice to have water close by.

5. Snacks. You can keep a few granola bars or crackers, to tide over any hunger. Mints and chocolates are good in my book.

6. Books and magazines. To keep your guests from getting bored, of course. If you’re really good, throw in some literature about your city-hot spots and destinations. I myself am not that good.

7. A fan. We have a ceiling fan with three settings, but you can have a standing fan, too. Whatever floats your boat.

8. Slippers and a robe. Again, the real hotel effect.

9. A mirror. What is better than a mirror? A full length mirror. We have a decorative mirror hanging on the wall.

10. Great smelling bath products; salts, scrubs, bubble bath, etc.

So, what do you do to prepare for guests? I’m dying to know!

Our Past Four Years…

Published on June 21, 2010May 25, 2011 by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

We have done quite a bit to our humble rancher since Ben bought it back in 2004. Most you can see, like paint and trim, but others are a little more difficult to notice-if you can see them at all. So, here’s a little recap of things Ben did before we were married:

Cut out and installed egress windows in basement bedrooms and the office.
Drilled a well.
Installed wood burning fireplace.
Removed siding to add insulation all around the house.
Replaced all upper level windows, enlarging the bedroom windows by one foot.
Replaced the kitchen linoleum with tile.
Knocked down the kitchen wall to create a half wall:

8. Closed ½ bath and created ¾ master bathroom.

Changes we’ve made since we’ve been married:

Added trim to the 3^rd bedroom and repainted.
Added trim to the guest bedroom and repainted.
Repainted living room and built an entertainment center.
Gutted and refinished main bathroom.
Added oak floors and trim to master bedroom. Repainted.
Installed a new glass back door.
Finished 1^st basement bedroom.
Installed a central vacuum system.
Added trim to the dining room and repainted.
Removed the chain link fence and built a new painted white fence.
Planted 17 fruit trees, boxwood, roses, peonies, lilies, and other flowers.
Installed a larger electric panel and moved it to the laundry room.
Built and hung new shutters and window boxes.
Dug a trench to install the geothermal system:

15. Gutted and unfinished master bathroom.

16. Installed a new front door.

17. Finished office, including built-in bookshelves and cabinets.

18. Finished basement living room with painted trim and built-in entertainment center.

19. Finished basement bedroom with trim.

20. Finished basement bathroom, complete with 6 foot jetted tub, open vanity and soon to be steam room.

Of course there are several smaller projects we’ve finished, too.

Lighten and Brighten Up!

Published on June 15, 2010September 9, 2010 by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

I love light and bright rooms, don’t we all? I have compiled a list of changes we have made to make our house brighter.

1. Add a sky tube to a dark, windowless room, like our main bathroom.

2. Mirrors! The mirrors in both of our upstairs bathrooms extend to or close to the ceilings. The large mirrors reflect light while making the space feel larger.

3. Our new dining light fixture makes our space feel brighter because the shade is white. The old fixture was oil rubbed bronze, so it felt darker.

4. When Ben replaced all of our windows, he enlarged some of the windows. All three bedroom windows are now 1 foot closer to the floors. The added light does make a huge difference. Ben also made a smart decision by making egress windows in our basement. All of the basement windows were the smaller of the two shown below. Not only are the bedrooms more functional, livable bedrooms, but the light is great. It doesn’t seem as much like a basement.

5. Our new front door has a window. At first, I hated the idea, due to lack of privacy-I liked to look out our peep-hole at the people on the other side, knowing they couldn’t see me. Now, they know I’m on the other side of the door-not answering… Any who, I love the light this little window lets in. The new back door is almost entirely glass, too. I love it, lack of privacy and all.

The full glass back door floods the staircase and basement landing with light.

6. Lamps-duh! We all know they add light, but a lamp in a dark corner can make a world of difference.

It’s Marble-ous!

Published on June 2, 2010September 9, 2010 by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

Yep, I’m talking about our new marble floor.

Ben installed the new white marble floors in a brick pattern to add interest. I think it looks amazing, but I’m biased. You’ll notice a small corner of our new bathtub to the right. Here she is in all her glory, sort of. It’s a five-foot jetted tub and I couldn’t wait to use it!

After the tub was installed, Ben added beadboard panels to cover up the nasty wallpaper. Then he built our custom vanity. We decided on two drawer stacks, forgoing the cabinet. Ben’s design also hid the sink plumbing, sweet!

The counter top is a green granite remnant from a local marble and granite company. The vessle sink and faucet were purchased on Ebay for $150.00 TOTAL! The sink is a little difficult to keep clean because it’s clear and two sided, but it’s worth it.

Keeping with the marble-ous theme, we installed a marble tile tub surround, too. Ben wanted some dark tile, so this is the pattern we agreed upon. (The tiles still need to be cleaned here).

The sill around the tub is a matching granite to give the tub edge some stability.

After three weeks of hard work and long hours, our bathroom looked like this:

We added a marble tile backsplash and reused our old mirror. We turned it vertically to add height and reflect light from the new sky tube we installed over the tub. Ben still had to build the drawer fronts, but we can see the finish line, now.

In true Bowe fashion, we work really hard to finish a project and then take a few months off before completing the finishing touches. So, after about three months, we finally had the drawer fronts done and installed.

Here’s the finished bathroom now: