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Sink Hole

Published on September 26, 2011October 23, 2011 by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

Well, the first step of our kitchen remodel is done. We’ve ordered a custom apron front sink and it is fantastic. First, let’s discuss our options and why we chose a custom sink. After a look on Ebay, we realized we liked two options. One, a 30 inch flat front stainless apron sink, like this:

Pros: 30 inch width, flat front, single basin, great price. Cons: This sink, like most apron front sinks, is between 18 inches and 21 inches from front to back. Which means, we would have a four to seven-inch piece of granite at the back of our sink. That’s okay, but we don’t like the look of a seam at the back.

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Option two is a full depth apron front sink, like this.

Pros: This sink is counter depth, so we could avoid a piece of granite behind the sink. Cons: This sink costs nearly two thousand dollars. Um, heck no am I paying that much for a sink.

So, we took a chance and talked to a custom metal shop in town, just to get a quote on the price of a custom-made-to-our-specifications sink. A few days later, we got a call. The price? Only 650 bucks for our design made of 14 gauge stainless steel. Most other sinks are 18 or 16 gauge, so ours would be more heavy-duty. Just because we’re ~~paranoid~~ perfectionists, we took another trip to the shop with pictures, to place our order. Neither Ben or I have ever had something custom-made without one of us doing the work. It is accurate to say we were apprehensive. Then, we waited. Ben received a call only nine days after confirming the order that our sink was done and ready to pick up. Whoa, that was quick.

We decided it would be best for Ben to drill a hole for the faucet, just to be safe. Our sink is 30 inches wide, 25 inches from front to back and nine inches deep, exactly.

Completely perfect. Well, nearly. The weld and bend marks are slightly more visible than Ben would like, but he should be able to sand it down.

Actually, he has already started. But, he made a mistake by using a random orbital sander.

Rather than the ‘grain’ of the steel showing, you see the circluar pattern from the sander. But, Ben bought a different sander, so we’ll share an update once things get further.

Now, allow me to explain why we opted for a custom, $650 sink over a store-bought $320 sink. First, we got exactly what we wanted. Seriously, I had my doubts that the sink would live up to our expectations, but it exceeded everything I had imagined. Secondly, our granite company charges $400 to cut and polish a hole for a sink. Essentially, our sink total for the store-bought version would come in at 720 dollars. Our custom-made sink eliminates the sink cutting charge, which means we’re actually saving 70 bucks for our custom sink.

868 dollars spent on the kitchen so far, several thousand more to go. One project down, roughly 786 left.

Have you had something custom made? Did it make you happy? Or was it nothing like you hoped for?

Gimme a Giveaway: Bella Glow Winner

Published on September 23, 2011October 19, 2011 by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

We asked you to tell us your favorite tree/type of wood. My favorite type of tree is a weeping willow. Such beautiful, relaxing trees. Brazilian Cherry is my favorite for a home, simply because of the beautiful red tone and fine grain. Ben is obsessed with Brazilian Walnut due to the durability, measuring 3,680 on the Janka scale.

Just as a reference, Red Oak, commonly used for flooring in 1960’s ranchers like ours, measures 1,290. Which means Brazilian Walnut is over 2.5 times harder than Red Oak. I mean really, a wood that has the same fire rating as steel, concrete and cement?

Our winner, number 27, Kelli, loves cherry. Good choice, Kelli, good choice.

The Brazilian Cherry coasters might be perfect for you!

What are you up to this weekend? Just relaxing? Enjoying the last nice days of the year? Working on a project? Here’s to hoping we’ll get something done over the weekend. After a week of relaxing with my family, doing nothing.

The Big 0-4

Published on September 22, 2011November 2, 2012 by Our Humble Abode13 Comments

Yesterday marked Vincent’s four years on this earth, outside of the womb. Of course, we had a party to celebrate our little man’s big day. Vincent decided he wanted a colored balloon party, so I made invitations to fit the theme and searched Pinterest for inspiration.

First, we jazzed up the front porch with a balloon wreath, a number four, and a planter of red mums.

I thought I’d tie balloons to the number, like the inspiration, but it couldn’t stand upright. So, I improvised by hanging the painted paper mache letter from the light. The only problem? The four turned in the wind, sometimes making a backwards four. Oh well, you can’t win them all.

Five bags of balloons from the Dollar Tree plus a foam wreath form I already had plus a box of straight pins equals an adorably cheap, festive wreath, perfect for a birthday party.

Just a tip, I found the Dollar Tree’s balloons to be the best deal. Twenty five large balloons for only a buck. Target and Wal-Mart charged one dollar for only 15 balloons. I cheaped out because I wanted to save some balloons for other party decorations. The back is completely bare and some areas of the wreath form are visible from the side, but only if you’re completely smooshed up against the door.

We used the saved balloons to make a chandelier to hang in the living room, over a folding table for additional seating.

I didn’t want a cheapo plastic table-cloth, but I didn’t want to shell out the dough for a cloth cover. Luckily, our boys don’t use flat sheets on their beds, so an extra twin-sized flat sheet covered us. Pun intended.

We focused our decorating energy on the dining room, covering the ceiling with a rainbow of paper zig zag streamers. A mix of construction paper and card stock from Vincent’s craft bin.

Construction paper weight worked better to make the streamers. The thinner the paper, the better it hangs. A small piece of Scotch tape held the streamers nicely.

On the plate wall, we hung a banner my sisters made for Vincent’s first birthday. We’ve used it every birthday since.

I’ve learned to keep food as simple as possible when entertaining a larger group. Brie cheese on roasted garlic bread (from Costco) and Caprese salad skewers as appetizers. Spaghetti and meatballs is a crowd pleasing meal, and it’s easy to make in one large batch. My mom made meatballs two days before and froze until the day of the party. I made a large batch of home-made spaghetti sauce and put it in a crock pot to simmer all day. Yesterday morning, we thawed out the meat balls. A few hours before the party started, we added the meatballs to the sauce to warm up. We rounded out the meal with a simple spinach and romaine salad and rainbow fruit skewers.

The fruit skewers consisted of one strawberry, two peach slices, two pineapple chunks, one large piece of kiwi, and two grapes. We forgot to get blueberries. Oops.

For dessert, I made Oreo pops and a chocolate cake. For the Oreo pops, we used Oreo Triple Double cookies. I had small wooden spoons left over from another craft project, so I used those for the sticks. A quick dip in almond bark and a shake of sprinkles later, we had a cute dessert.

I don’t bake, so I decided to buy a box of cake mix (Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge, to be exact). I poured the batter in 9 inch spring for pan, and it barely covered the bottom. So, I mixed up another box to make two layers. To assemble the cake, I cut the tops off for a flat surface. Then, I melted Nutella to spread as a layer between the two cakes. My sister frosted the cake with cream cheese frosting. To decorate, we added stripes of M & M’s. First, we made lines using the back of a knife, just to keep everything straight and even.

Then, we placed 6 M & M’s on each stripe, until we’d covered the entire cake.

For a non-baker, this was an easy solution to avoid frosting.

We sprinkled a few glasses, just for chocolate milk drinkers.

Overall, the party was a huge success, even if every guest did bring him a gift, despite the no gift request.

What is your favorite part? Have you ever made spaghetti for a party? Do you make cakes from scratch, or a box? Have you ever had Brie on roasted garlic bread? If you haven’t, you should. It’s fantastic, and easy.

Worse for Wear: End Tables

Published on September 21, 2011September 21, 2011 by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

The last time we shared something worse for wear, we discussed how our welded steel dining table has fared the past year. Overall, not too bad. Just a few scratches, but nothing a can or two of white spray paint can’t fix. Unfortunately, not every piece of furniture can be fixed as easily. Take our living room end tables for example. They used to look alright, considering they were $15 Target clearance tables with laminate tops.

When I bought the tables two years ago, I bought them mostly for the price and the steel bases. The laminate tops, not so much.

Laminate is super cheap and peels off easily. Specifically, Vincent peels it off easily. And, he puts stickers on everything. Chairs, cabinets, tables, you name it, it has a sticker on it.

We’ll have to find the time to make new tops, whether wood, marble, or granite. I’d like to paint the legs to complete the new look, too.

What piece of furniture have you purchased, only for it to fall apart? Something from Ikea? Something from a high-end furniture store?

Remodelaholic Mood Board

Published on September 20, 2011September 20, 2011 by Our Humble Abode12 Comments

Recently, Cassity of Remodelaholic asked if we wanted to take part in a mood board extravaganza, of sorts.

Do you see how many other inspiring bloggers have joined in this party? We’re tickled pink to be a part of this fantastic group. Basically, we’re sharing an inspiration room, this week featuring the room where all the magic (design magic, don’t be dirty) happens, the master bedroom.

We found our inspiration room on, where else, Pinterest.

For a room with a similar look, try out this mood board:

We believe a master bedroom should be a mix of masculine and feminine, carefully balanced to represent both people using the space. By mixing graphic patterns such as stripes and quatrefoil, soft, billowy fabrics, metal and hardwood, we’ve achieved a look that men and women can like. Kind of like Heidi Klum or Ryan Reynolds.

The paneled wall treatment, painted white, serves as a neutral backdrop, but adds architectural interest to any room. Dark stained hardwood floors are handsome, durable and classic, but can be a little hard under foot. The striped rug softens and cozies up the room. A capiz lotus chandelier overhead softly glows, providing ambiance. And, it’s a stunning, feminine fixture.

Soft Suzani fabric would make beautiful floor to ceiling, feminine curtains, whether sewn or hem taped. The playful pattern adds a punch while still feeling restful due to the soothing colors.

Home made Scrabble letter art is easy and cheap to make, but still personal. As a bonus, it is a cute way to define his and hers side of the bed. To make the art feel less cutesy, exchange the heart for a modern + symbol. For another feminine touch, hang butterfly shadow boxes on either side of the bed, just above the nightstand. Oil rubbed bronze task lamps are pretty and function as task lighting, prefect for reading. Top the nightstand off with a stack of books, a pretty vase and an alarm clock.

A DIY upholstered nail head trim headboard (or this one from West Elm) is simple and classic, allowing other items in the room to shine. Bold graphic printed pillows tossed on the bed add comfort and style to a white pintuck duvet cover.