Powder bath makeover, round 2

You may recall a few months ago I did a little makeover on my powder bath . Mostly it involved paint and framed agates .

I liked the agates and Chelsea Gray is one of my favorite paint colors but something about the bathroom still felt a little boring to me . I wanted something bolder and more fun .

Something like this Hinson & Co. wallpaper .

So I painted my bathroom white again and then I let the paint fly . Literally . 

 

Achieveing this look was actually a lot harder than I thought . I didn't want thick globs of paint on the wall because if I change my mind again I don't want to have to sand everything down to get a flat surface . To get the look without the thickness, I decided to use watercolors for the splatter paint . The colors are beautiful but because the paints are thinner they tend to drip on vertical surfaces . I had to get just enough water on my brush to make the paint flick on to the wall but not too much or else it would run . 

It made a HUGE mess but I am in love with the result . It's exactly what I wanted . It's completely unexpected and random . From afar the it looks surprisingly subtle, but up close there is a great mix of shape, color and pattern . 

I can't wait to hear people's reactions when they use the restroom . I know this look is a little crazy so it won't be for everyone . Maybe most of you actually prefer the before pic? Ha. It's ok if you do  : ) Even my 4 year old thought I was nuts . 

To hone or not to hone

Despite its bad reputation, I really love the look of white marble in a kitchen. I love how the white brightens even the darkest of kitchens and you can't beat the feel of real stone .

Peacock Kitchen

Unknown

The Kitchn

Traditional Home

We had polished carrara marble countertops installed in our kitchen and I would do it again in a heartbeat . I originally wanted honed countertops but all of the honed slabs were really gray so I went with polished instead . So far they have held up really well and we are not a neat family . I am sure there are etches and scratches but I honestly never notice them if they are there . 

However, I can not say the same thing about our kitchen table . We have this table from Crate and Barrel . 

It is really beautiful and mostly I love it . But with a husband two kids, the polished marble top definitely has a few etches . Even though I sealed it right after we bought it, it still etches much more easily than our countertops . The etches look like water spots and honestly aren't that noticeable unless the light hits the table in a certain way but they still sort of bother me . Recenty I've been thinking about trying to hone the top so that the etching won't be so noticeable . Have any of you ever tried this? My research tells me that the following items are needed:

I have a few sample pieces left over from our countertop so I will probably test it out on those first . I would never be brave enough to try this on my countertops but a table doesn't feel as intimidating . If I totally mess it up I can always call in a professional to fix things , right ? ? ? (FAMOUS LAST WORDS)

I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out. Wish me luck !

The Squeaky Wheel and Mixing it Up in the Dining Room

Do y'all know that saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease"? Well, after 3 days without power last week I was a squeaky wheel . I was complaining loudly to anyone and everyone (on the blog, on FaceBook, to total strangers at Panera and the gym). And even though I wasn't complaining to anyone who could actually do something about my power outage, I was still rewarded with our power coming back late that afternoon ! I was so relieved because what I didn't tell you is that during that time my husband was out of town . . . in Barcelona . . . while I was here . . . with two kids . . . and no power . . . and no water . . . He is coming home today and to say we have missed him tremendously would be a huge understatement . 

One positive outcome of sitting around in the dark by yourself for hours on end is that you have plenty of time to think . And I spent a lot of time thinking about our dining room . It definitely needs a makeover . One of the things I am considering is mixing and matching the dining chairs . This image of Thomas O'Brien's living room is what got me started down this path . 

Love the tables, love the chairs, love all of the white . I want my dining room to have a similar bright, casual, comfortable vibe . A stuffy, formal dining room just doesn't fit us or this house . A safer way to mix seating is to use the same chair but in different colors . 

Ruthie Sommers

Apartment Therapy

But I am more drawn to a mix of styles and finishes . 

Via Design for Mankind

Unknown

Unknown

Lonny

Pulling together this kind of look takes time but it also gives me a reason to go thrifting ! Are you a fan of this look or do you prefer the more traditional matching chairs ? 

Sending out an S.O.S

We are going on day 3 without power and it is starting to be quite a struggle . You see, when you live in the county if you don't have power, you don't have water . So not only do we not have internet, TV, lights, or HEAT, but we also can't take a shower or flush the toilets . (OK so technically we can bring in snow, let it melt and then use that water to flush the toilets but that is certainly not convenient.) And we can't just pick up and go to a hotel because we have two crazy dogs that would NOT be welcome in any sort of hotel . So, we are filling our time by playing in the snow that brought on this disaster,

(Some were happier than others about playing in the snow)

reading books,

eating our meals by the gas logs, 

and seriously bundling up inside the house . At this point I think it may actually be warmer outside of our house than it is inside our house . 

The good news is that most of the roads are completely clear so we can go out and about if we get too bored during the day . And in case there was any doubt, after 48 hrs without power, everyone is bored . Thankfully the kids' schools have power so they are warm and entertained today . In the meantime, I think I am going to the gym to workout just so I can take a hot shower afterwards .  Hopefully the power will be back soon or else it is going to be a very long weekend . . .

A Casual Gallery Wall

As I mentioned last week,  I've finally unpacked all of our photos and artwork from the old house .  I've been itching to get things up on the walls but I've had a hard time deciding on where to hang what . I knew I wanted a gallery wall in our bedroom of some sort but there were so many options - family photos ? Artwork? A mix of the two ? A structured grid ? Matching frames or mixed ? 

I started by hanging one of Riley's paintings.*

I didn't have a frame that fit and since I am nothing if not impatient, I just used thumbtacks to attach the painting the the wall and hung a thrifted wooden frame around the painting . I figured I would eventually get a "real" frame but if I'm being honest that will probably never happen . 

The picture sat by itself for a few days and then I just randomly started adding to it .

I decided to only hang art (not family photos) on this wall and mixed and matched whatever frames and mats I could find .  I've never hung a gallery wall so haphazardly before . Usually I have some sort of layout in mind before I start punching holes in the wall . 

It ended up taking most of the day to get it all worked out and I had to move a few things around to get it right but I am really liking the end result . The random arrangement feels casual and like it's been added to over time . 

It adds so much color and brightness to the room . And I love that every piece is made by one of us or thrifted . 

There is plenty of space left so I can add more later . I especially want to add another landscape painting of some sort . 

I was feeling so impressed and thought it made such an impact on the room until my husband came home and went in and out of this room no less than 8 times without even noticing the gallery wall ! Oh, well . 

* A commenter asked me about painting with my kids and if I give them any guidance, etc. I have found that the more I stay out of it the better the outcome . When Hayes is painting the most challenging part is getting her to put the paint brush on the paper instead of in her mouth . With Riley I make sure to keep her water clean so the colors don't get too muddy and I turn the paper every so often so that she covers the whole page instead of just the corner that is sitting directly in front of her . Other than that, I let them do whatever they want . Sometimes it is hard to bite my tongue but honestly most of the time I am amazed at what they create. 

Dry Spell

I have been in a bit of a dry spell when it comes to antiquing recently . Last weekend Hayes and I spent Saturday afternoon at one of my local spots and I was so relieved to find lots of inspiration . I only purchased a couple of items but I saw plenty of things that have my mind spinning with ideas . 

One of the first items I found was another trophy for my collection . 

Trophies are a popular item amongst collectors so I always feel lucky when I find one . 

I also picked up this laundry hamper .

Since I recently gave my laundry room a makeover I actually didn't need a hamper but I always need storage . It is perfect for holding toys in our living room . And I couldn't resist the tumbling blocks pattern .  

The pattern adds so much texture and interest to this corner of the room and I love the leather handles . 

I am totally dating myself with this comment, but do tumbling blocks patterns remind anyone else of QBert ? ? ? Anyone ? 

I used to love playing that game on the computer as a kid .

I also found a really great old wooden bench .

It needs to be cleaned up a bit and I am still figuring out where and how I am going to make it work . It is 9 feet long ! For now it is sitting at our kitchen table but it may end up on our porch when the weather warms up . Once I figure it all out I'll be sure to post another picture . 

 Some items I didn't get but that are still on my mind include a 4 ft tall abacus, a vintage iron gate and an industrial rolling cart . They all have lots of potential and are still under consideration . Even if I don't go back for them I am so glad to finally see some good stuff out there again ! Dry spells are the worst ! 

Easy Update

I picked up this watercolor at a thrift store a few weeks ago .

I really didn't like the hunter green mat but I loved the texture and colors in the painting . 

Originally I planned to just replace the green mat with a white one but the painting is an unusual size and a standard mat didn't fit . I was going to have to cut one myself or buy a custom one . I was debating which direction to go in when it occured to me that I could just mount it directly on a piece of mat board and leave the edges exposed . 

Once I took the frame apart and saw the raw edges of the painting I knew it was the way to go . I have no idea how old this painting actually is but the uneven brittle edges imply that its been around for a while which immediately makes it more interesting . 

I love the quirky shape and it was much less work than cutting a new mat . It took under 5 minutes to mount it and put the frame back together and now it is ready to hang . I'm on a mission to finally get our art / photos on the walls . I just unpacked three boxes of artwork over the weekend and I've been slowly making progress .

Laundry Room - After

 

So I'm not sure where last week went but before I knew it the whole week was gone without a single post from me . Oops .  While I wasn't writing posts I was busy working on my laundry room . I finished it up over the weekend . The pictures aren't great because it is a pretty small room with no windows but hopefully you can see the improvements . Here is the laundry room before we moved in :

Blah , beige and boring . 

And here it is now :

We switched the washer and dryer out with the ones from our old house . Next we removed the corian countertop and replaced it with a wood countertop that we painted white .  We also added another shelf . 

I made a very poorly sewn skirt for the sink . We store the extra bags of pet food underneath this area . 

The rest of the pet food is stored in labeled jars on top of the washer and dryer .

I painted the existing cabinet and changed the hardware .  Before, the cabinets were a dingy antique white with a decorative glaze and brushed nickel knobs . 

I primed and painted them in two coats of Valspar's Royal Navy in semi-gloss . I also added these pulls I found recently at a local store . I love them and bought all that they had in this brushed gold and a polished nickel . 

I hung some of Riley's watercolor paintings along the top of the wall .

The boxes and baskets hold light bulbs, cleaning rags, and clothes that need to be ironed .

I found the big vintage laundry basket at an antique mall . It holds old towels that we use for the dogs and to clean up spills around the house . 

This house has a laundry shoot which Riley loves . At first we just kept the vintage laundry basket on the floor to catch the clothes but our dog kept chewing at the basket and half of the time the clothes wouldn't land in there anyway . I found this old hay feeder in the barn when we were renovating it . 

I cleaned it up and decided to hang it on the wall to catch the clothes .

It works great and I like having something unique on the wall . 

I thought about lining it because I was worried that the clothes would fall through to the floor but they actually don't . I can't believe I am literally showing you our dirty laundry, but this is what it looks like when it is filled up with clothes :

It's a little messy looking I guess but their clothes are so colorful that I actually kind of like it . I also added some wall hooks behind the door to hold our mops, brooms, etc . 

I decided to just leave the old linoleum and added a Dash and Albert rug to cover up as much of it as possible . 

The little rolling cart between the washer and dryer is literally wedged in there . It's so tightfitting that it doesn't actually roll in and out, but I love having that extra bit of storage for the laundry supplies . 

So there it is . I am so much happier going in this room now and I don't mind if the door is left open . I don't even mind doing the laundry as much - which is a good thing because that is on my list of things to do today :) 

Week in Pictures

Paul was traveling the first half of this week which always makes for a long week . The girls and I had our tradition of breakfast for dinner but this time we kicked things up a notch . 

I posted about this idea a long time ago but this is the first time I actually did it . Riley loved it and now I don't think plain pancakes are going to cut it anymore . I also pulled out my sewing machine for the first time in almost a year . I know just enough about sewing to annoy myself . I'm too stubborn / impatient to take small projects around my house to a seamstress but then I only notice all of the flaws in my completed work . I think if i sewed on a more consistent basis things would get easier but I tend to sew once every 3 - 4 months so I feel like I spend half a day relearning basic skills . It is always a frustrating experience but the end result will do for now .  

Sweet Ivy is growing like a weed . She is already almost 25 lbs . I've been working with a trainer and she is doing really well but she definitely keeps me busy ! 

I am having such a hard time deciding on a rug to go under our kitchen table . I am waffling between bright and happy 

Crate and Barrel

and natural and neutral .

Serena & Lily

Today I am leaning towards neutral . 

After a long week I am looking forward to some fun this weekend . I think we are going to start things off by going to see Silver Linings Playbook tonight . 

I've heard such good things about it - hopefully it will live up to my expectations ! Have a good weekend ! 

Screened Porch

Serenbe via Southern Hospitality

Via Spiked Sweet Tea

Pinterest

Michael Graydon Photography

Atlanta Home Magazine

One of the projects on our list for this spring is to screen in our back porches . Last year the mosquitos were unbearable so I can't wait to get this done ! I've never lived in a house with a screened porch but I imagine it will become one of my favorite parts of our house . These images make me so ready for Spring . Can I just say that February is absolutely my LEAST favorite month of the year ? Anyone else with me ?