11.29.2015

Challenge failed and Home Update

For those that don't follow me on Instagram, and were following my One Room Challenge, you might be wondering what happened to me and what is going on with my laundry room refresh.

First of all, I will say I failed the 6 week challenge of completing a room from start to finish for Linda of  Calling it Home's One Room Challenge. We were almost complete but our tile was delayed and didn't arrive in time.

Then when we were days away from having a tile installer come to finish it off, this happened....


 No, we didn't decide to do a little remodel during the One Room Challenge... but I guess we are now.

We live up in the Seattle area and on November 17th we had a severe wind storm. Wind gusts were around 55-60 mph.

Ironically, if you follow me on Instagram you would see I posted a sweet picture of a hummingbird on our feeder that day. Wind gusts were strong but not that bad. Later in the day we got torrential rain that flooded streets, street traffic lights had gone out and the weather just picked up greatly. I picked up my 2 girls from school, arrived safely back home and the wind got worse and worse. We live in a wooded neighborhood with 100' feet trees surrounding us. It has always been a concern living here for the last 14 years but you just never think it will really happen.

Around 4:30 in the afternoon, as we were standing a few steps back to the left of this picture below when a tree fell through the house. It was truly horrific. We actually saw it fall through! First thought was to call my husband, and I can tell you I had so much adrenaline that I could not even figure out how to work the phone.



 Tree fell from neighbor's back yard and fell in our family room and across the house to the front of our house into our driveway. Needless to say but it was a VERY large tree.


 It is quite amazing how much damage the tree did and what it didn't do. As you can see above all the damage to the ceiling and with all the debris that fell but nothing on our bar area was touched.
The house shook like an earthquake and we now have windows in other areas of the house misaligned. Our french doors in our dining room and master bedroom that were dead bolted locked were blown right open, but nothing on the bar moved. So crazy!


 This is our laundry room. Surprisingly, no big damage other than the ceiling. It looks like it's a broken 2x4 busted through. Sadly looks like the ceiling in this room will possibly be removed as well. I just hope it doesn't ruin the walls that we just completed.

 A photo from the night of of storm. You see this is the top of the tree that fell over the house blocking our entry and in our driveway.


This is our neighbor's house as they are removing a tree that fell onto their house right after ours. A third one fell as well and fell between our two properties.

I'm not upset with the damage of our home. I am too grateful that my neighbors are all safe,that my daughters, our dog and I are all safe and no one was hurt. It could be SO much worse.
All of this can and will be fixed.

We've had one insurance adjuster and one engineer out to our home already to assess the damage. We are waiting for our Big Claims adjuster to fly in and come assess now. We are told it will be a very long process. It hit the load bearing beams and the roof/ceiling/walls from that whole side of house will have to be removed and rebuilt. Been told it could be up to 6 months. If there is a silver lining in all this, we better be getting a new kitchen out of this. Ugh!

I will be checking back in here to show progress of the home and the rebuilding. It may not be often as this again will sadly be a very long process.

11.05.2015

Laundry Room Refresh Week 5

Week Five is here for the One Room Challenge of freshening up our laundry room.

If you are just checking in here for the first time, I'm a link up participant for Linda of Calling It Home's One Room Challenge that she hosts twice a year.

Here's a recap of my weeks leading up til today:


Last week was pretty unproductive and I was really hoping that more would've gotten done but honestly this will be a super quick post because not much was done. 

Painting didn't get done. I'm hoping to do that this weekend. It should go quick and hoping it will only need one coat.

My husband did a little DIY for me. I saw this Pottery Barn hanging system and love the simple look of it. 

 I love the simplicity of it and we had some leftover wood from the moldings, so we used that. We bought a 5/8" w dowel and cut it into 9 pegs. We found these black rubber caps and after we painted the pegs/rail, we attached those.

 Sorry for the very poor photo. Just have the peg rail sitting against the wall for now until I paint the room. I really like the look and hoping if I do decide in the future to buy any of the Pottery Barn components to this system it will fit our peg rail.

Now for the very bad news... I will more than likely NOT be done by Thursday's deadline. It is totally my fault. I was indecisive about what tile to use and for some reason thought I'd be able to find it in stock somewhere. Silly me. I got it ordered and it should've been here by now but there has been a delay. It should arrive now early next week, anywhere from Monday-Wednesday. Crossing fingers that there isn't any more delays. If we get the tile like Monday we might have a fighting chance.

Please do come back to see the final reveal (whenever that might be-gulp). I'm so excited to see the tile installed!

Here is this week's 20 designers/bloggers updates here, and the many other link up participants progress here

10.30.2015

Fall House Tour 2015

While I love all the little things that each season brings, I really love decorating for fall. I love adding new textures, and the burnt oranges, reds, and browns that I don't usually have in my day to day decor colors. It's sort of fun decorating for seasons like this because you can sort of redo rooms with just little touches without redoing the WHOLE room.

Some people go all out for decorating for the fall, and some people like to just add a thing or two and call it good. I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I don't decorate for Halloween, I decorate for fall and keep these items around from October until Thanksgiving.

Every year, I try to mix things up a little and sometimes I may add a new item. This year I did not buy anything new.

Here's a tour of my house this year.

As you can see I started out with the top photo of decorating our entry table, but rearranged somethings so I could use things for my mantle.





Nothing beats a good chili. 

And I was super excited to see Pier 1 used my photo on their Instagram feed.



If you don't follow me on Instagram, I'd like to share my recent design book purchases as of late.
Emily Henderson's Styled
Below, Lauren Liess' book Habitat.


And lastly, Ellen DeGeneres' book Home.
While I have not read through them all, I have started them all and they are all SO good in their unique and different ways.


I hope you enjoyed the little tour and hoping you have a fun & safe Halloween.



10.29.2015

Laundry Room Refresh Week Four

Week four here in the six week challenge that I'm participating in for Linda's Calling it Home, One Room Challenge.

This week was rather a slow week, and not much to report. All the walls have the beadboard and my husband installed the crown molding.

I purchased the light.
 I had others higher on my want list but all of them were a little high on the budget and/or were going to take 3-4 weeks to get it. This is just a laundry room after all and I don't need to spend lots of money on a light that only I will see for the most part, and this is not our "forever" home. If it was I'd do things a whole lot differently. But I really do like the shape of this light and the room needs some shine and I think the glass will really help in that aspect. I am excited to have it installed.

Things left to do now: paint ceiling and walls, DIY a Pottery Barn peg rail for my mop and cleaning tools, do some organizing of the drawers and cupboards, and wait for my tile to come in. I am crossing fingers that it'll arrive in time and we can get it installed before the six weeks is up.The tile is really what I am most excited about.

Sorry this post was a little boring this week with not much to report. Hope to have more next week.

Please go check out the 20 selected bloggers/designers progress this week, and the other link up participants like me.



10.22.2015

Laundry Room Refresh Week 3

You came back! Thank you! It's week 3 here if you're keeping track on my 6 week Challenge of redoing our laundry room.

If you are new, I'm a linking participant of Linda's Calling it Home, One Room Challenge and here you can see my previous posts on week One and week Two.

I am happy to report I have progress. Yay!  We went and purchased our butcher block for the counter from Lumber Liquidators, who just happened to be having a sale. Very excited to save some money.

 
 We have since put a coat of polyurethane on it and thinking we should put one more coat.

Then my husband and I put up beadboard.


I have to give a huge shout out to my husband. He helps me execute these ideas and pretty sure I couldn't get half these things done without him. Somehow I always sucker him in, and I've found out (and him too) that I am more of the idea person and not so much the executing of the idea person.
So, if you read this Bill... Thank you and you know deep down you love these little projects. Ha!

Next up will be a top molding, and painting. I chose the tile and it's being ordered. The color will be kept a secret, as I have to keep some mystery to this project. Hopefully, it'll arrive and be installed before this 6 weeks is up.

That's a wrap on this week. Be sure to pop over to Linda's to see the 20 designers/bloggers for week 3 and all the linkup's today. So much inspiration happening, you'll love all the ideas flowing over there.

Oh and can I say, I wish my family room still looked like this.


Glad I documented it because now I have all my laundry room stuff scattered all in this room. Projects are fun huh?

See you next week!

10.15.2015

Laundry Room Refresh: Week 2

We have come to week 2 now on the One Room Challenge that I'm participating in as a link up participant on Linda's Calling it Home blog.


Shall we play this fun game of let's pretend? Pretend I got a LOT accomplished this past week. Let's close our eyes, and picture the linoleum gone and tile being started, maybe the walls have been painted and possibly a new pretty countertop was installed. Now if you open your eyes, you will see that nothing has changed, other than a higher stack of laundry to do.

I will admit I didn't get much (aka nothing) done this week. Not for the lack of trying though. I went to Home Depot and Lowes, shopping for tile and came home with squat. Looked for a new light fixture and came home with squat. I went looking for ideas for my wall treatments, and came home with squat, zero, zilch, nada.

For first time visitors, you can see what my laundry room currently looks like here in Week 1.

Here's my original plan.
 The plan has now changed ever so slightly. Sadly, the plan to add an utility sink has been crossed out. My plan was to make this as cheap and easy of a refresh to the room as possible and adding the sink would not be cheap, nor easy as I was hoping. Plus, we would have to rip out our hide away iron board to make room for a sink, and that would lead to fixing drywall, and electrical work. So basically, it was a good dream of mine but will not be brought into fruition this time around. Insert very sad face emoji.

Next change is the tile. I was originally thinking I would be doing a black and white cement tile. While I really love the look of this tile, I've decided to go another direction. I know these are a show stopper and they sure are pretty but I've decided I am going for something a little more simpler in design.


 
Agnetha Home

I have decided to go with either white penny tile with black grout.


Kelly McGuill


 Or black penny tile with white grout.
 
Oliver and Simon Design

 
 
I am pretty confident in which one I'm going with but what would you choose?
 



As for the countertop, I said I was 50/50 on which direction I was going but I've made my decision.

I was thinking I would just paint the white Formica countertop with blackboard paint like I did for my bar area.



 After thinking about it a bit more, the room really will need some warmth so I've decided to go with the butcher block.

Studio McGee


In short, not really anything executed this week other than my finalizing some decisions. Time to get busy!

Come back next week, I'll be sure to show you some new changes to the room. Cross your fingers for me.

If you'd like to see more of my laundry room inspiration ideas, you can see my pinterest board, here.
Or follow me on Instagram for possibly some sneak peek photos.

To get caught up with the 20 designers/bloggers for week 2, go here. To see what other linking participants did this past week (which I know has got to be more than me)  go here.




10.08.2015

Laundry Room Refresh

If participating in the link up for Linda's Calling it Home One Room Challenge can't get me back to blogging, I don't know what will.

Incase you do not know what the One Room Challenge is.... it is a challenge of redoing a room in 6 weeks, and posting each week your progress along the way. Linda has chosen 20 designers/blogggers to showcase their rooms each Wednesday for the next 6 weeks and each Thursday, you can play along and link up your room as well. It's lots of fun and you get to see so many before and afters. Who doesn't love a good before/after?

I have chosen my laundry room this time around. It is not horrible but it needs some help. It is off of our family room and the door is usually left open, so I'd like it to look half way presentable when company is over. Another reason why I decided to tackle this room was because I recently won 5 gallons of Farrow & Ball paint from a contest I entered with F&B and Lauren Liess. She asked for a mood board and include F&B paint color in the board. I did and I was chosen! Yay! I was super excited. So now I have all this paint and needed a project.

Here is the state of my laundry room now.




 This was my mood board that won me the paint.



 
 
The plan is to replace the linoleum with tile, replace the countertop with butcher block wood or painting it with chalkboard paint (haven't decided), see if we can add a utility sink, new lighting and add some architectural  details to the room and paint everything white with my new paint.
 
Hope you will come back and see my progress.
 
 
 
 
 
 



1.27.2015

Black and Blue Inspiration

I was very inspired by this photo I found on Pinterest and thought I'd take a crack on doing a design board with this as my inspiration.

BHG


Here's what I gathered as inspiration if you wanted to complete the look yourself.

swing arm sconce/lantern/floor lamp/topiary/ginger jars/sofa/rattan trays/coffee table/leather chair/rug/striped throw blanket/lumbar pillow/floral pillow/striped pillow



Some advice if you are thinking of redoing a room, is to go to Pinterest and pin a bunch of photos that make your heart stop. I know that sounds dramatic, but really if you pick things that make you stop in your tracks, you know this is a look you LOVE and you will more than likely love it for a long time.

I made this mistake plenty of times in the past. I'd pick somethings out that I liked but looking back they weren't things that made my heart flutter. Most of these items are now gone. So don't waste your time and money on things that you don't love. Wait until you figure out what your style is, what you want your home to feel like and then make your choices. This photo above is all things that I love. The color blue, the texture of the rug, tray and shades, the white walls, the worn leather chair and the hints of black to ground everything. The room reads bright, airy, comfortable, and hints of a coastal vibe. All things I hope my own home portrays.

One a side note, I have a lot to learn about putting together a design board. I used PicMonkey, but does anyone else have a better or easier way to make a design board. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.


1.12.2015

Shop With Me: Salthouse Mercantile

It's been over a month since I stepped foot in the cutest store ever, Salt House Mercantile, but I'm a slacker and haven't gotten to blogging about it. What can I say.. it's on my New Year's resolutions list to get better about blogging more often (that and a few hundred other things, maybe I'll do a post on that too).

A few years back, I wrote a post about my cousin's shop on Bainbridge Island here in Washington, called Salt & Sea Vintage Home. Since then my cousin closed up that shop and relocated just across the street into a much larger space. She calls the new shop, Salt House Mercantile.

I loved her old store and I love her new shop just as much. The way she styles the store just blows me away. If I opened up a shop (which is on my dream list to do) I'd have my shop looking very similar.

Here's some photos for you to take a visual shopping trip with me.

First I have to show you how we get there. No trip to Bainbridge would not be complete without a ferry ride over from Seattle and taking photos like a tourist. I just love this skyline, and especially with our new Wheel (which I have yet to ride).







Sort of a grey day since it was in December after all, but it wasn't raining and I wore just a light sweater and cotton jacket.

On to the store...















See, isn't it SOO good! Carrie, my cousin, told me she's expecting even more new inventory and I can't wait to go back again. She has a great mix of vintage pieces and new pieces and great teas, olive oils, jams, etc. for any of you "foodies" as well. You can visit her Facebook page here for more photos.



 A trip to the island also means hitting Doc's Marina Grill. The clam chowder is to die for and the clams were quite yummy as well. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.


A night shot coming back into Seattle after our day of walking and shopping around the cute island of Bainbridge. If you are a local, I highly recommend you head on over there. It's such a fun day trip. If you are not a local, but ever come to Seattle this is a must as well. If gives you the fun experience of riding on the ferry and seeing some amazing views along the way, and Bainbridge is truly a very cute town, with many other cute shops and yummy places to dine at.

So, what goodie did I come away with at her shop this time?


This vintage olive bucket. I've been wanting one forever, and I just couldn't resist. It's  really big and I hope to fill it from driftwood pieces from the area.

Thanks for coming on my little shopping trip. I hope to take you on some more in the future.
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