Another Before & After....it's the fireplace!!!!!

Here it was the day we moved in, this picture isn't great but just to give you perspetive there was also very bad ceremic tile circa 1991 flanking it.  It stayed like this for awhile but after a couple of years with it this way it was time for a change.  The room is pretty dark due to many mature trees that surround our house and create A LOT of shade (sunshine is overrated!!!!!!)

Well I know we are very lucky to have a home with a fireplace (we may have used it twice so far...wooo hooo).  You don't need one much in the south.  So I pondered what changes I wanted to make, I considered painting it a really bold glossy color just to do something different but then I remembered that I live with my husband and he would have had an actual cow.

So I decided on the tried and true classic crisp white.  I sanded the entire thing and then put on a light primer.  Then came the paint.  I think it makes a huge difference in the room.  It really lightens things up if you know what I mean.    Paul surprised me and replaced the tile with a black slate that looks waaaaaayyyyyyyyy better.  So here she blows now:

 

Don't mind the discolored areas.... I must admit it still needs a light sanding and some more paint.  After painting it white some "impurities" appeared in the structure.  So I had to break out the trusty wood filler and that is the remeants of what you see.  But all in all I think its pretty good. And please don't mind the christmas ornaments in the plant, I didn't feel like putting them up after the holidays :) .  I think they had a nice suttle sparkle... fyi I am just making an excuse for myself.

Dining Room Before & After

So this is our dining area the way it looked when we moved in.  It's sandwiched between the living room and kitchen.  It definitely wasn't bad (especially in comparison to some of the other rooms) but the light fixture definitely needed to go.  Believe me when I say this photo doesn't do it justice as to how hideous it actually was.  It basically belonged at the "Regal Beagle" aka the bar on Three's Company that Janet, Jack and Chrissy frequented to conjure up plans on how to get out of whatever mess they found themselves in. 

OK, back to my house, sorry for the side track on a 1970s sitcom.  So obviously this room just needed a couple of cosmetic changes.  The layout of the house is an open floor plan so colors have be consistent from room to room in order to not evoke feelings of complete chaos (I have enough of that dealing with the general public... I don't need it at my home also).

So, I painted the walls a buttery yellow (thinking about repainting but haven't been able to commit to a color), we laid new tiles, added a bistro style dining table, stools and a pie safe we were lucky enough to get courtesy of Paul's grandparents on his mom's side.  We stripped it and stained a turquoise color to make it a little less traditional looking and added some like colored linens.  I made a rug (more on that at a later date) with fabric that coordinates with everything else.  So here it is now.

This is my attempt at a homemade terrarium.  It is basically an apothecary glass jar with soil, pea gravel and a jade plant.  I just did it so I guess we'll see how well the jade enjoys this little home.

Bathroom Before & After & After

So here's the deal with our house, it only has one bathroom.  So needless to say a major bathroom overhaul hasn't been in the cards, call us crazy but we like to shower and utilize our working plumbing if you know what I mean.  With that said our bathroom was a sad sad little room when we bought this house.  1987 had officially called and wanted it's linoleum back and the lack of storage was kind of a joke.  Here's a little look at the bathroom we started with.

It's a thing of beauty isn't it?  So we knew we needed storage ASAP.  Our house is very old & tiny so storage is key.  We were on a major budget  and were very naive on scale, color, etc.  So this is what we came up with.

Not too shabby, new floors, new paint, new vanity, mirror, etc.  It wasn't bad until.... well, we used it.  The vanity was way too deep for the space and although it was very "modern" it was a pain in the arse to keep looking clean.  So after about a year with this set up we craig's listed the vanity (it sold in 17 minutes), painted the walls, painted the mirror and wall storage and headed back to store for a new vanity.  This is our second go around at the bathroom.

It's definitely more functional for the space and we didn't really lose any storage area.  So there it is until we decide to change our minds again. (I am secretly thinking about new floors again.) 

Dreaming of Warm Sunny Days

I am so ready for warm weather on a regular basis.  I have had enough of cold, dreary weather.  Hoping to work in the yard and make it into something lovely and enjoyable.  Just like these little lovelies.

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The Little Grey Cottage

My husband and I own a little grey cottage, bet you never would have guessed it.  We bought it a few years ago and when we did it needed  A LOT of love... now it needs slightly less.  In the last few years, we have painted, had to get a new roof, gotten some new appliances, changed out the bathroom vanity (twice), laid tile, refinished hardwood floors and painted again all while on a very limited budget (much like every other homeowner).  This is an attempt to document all of the inspiration we come across as well as our journey in doing it ourselves and fixing the mistakes along the way to make this our home. Hope you enjoy.