Home Stretch!

Wood floors are down, TV is up! Here's some before, during, and after pics!
Closet before:


Closet extension framing during:


Closet/TV niche dry wall during:


Closet/TV niche painted after:

 
Chair rail, new paint, hung TV complete with wireless remote receptor thingy! All TV components are inside the closet. Oh and I promise you that the TV is centered exactly equally within the niche from left to right!! This picture doesn't look that way, but you better believe that it is. I measured it about 8 times and it's exact. The vertical measurement is a little off but I could care less about that.

Before, boring old coat closet again:


And after, larger, closet TV niche combo, again:

 
Amazing!! This really makes a difference in the living room. Not only will we have more space, but it looks sooooo cool and modern!!

Also seen in this after photo you get a sneak peek of the new floors here in the after shot. More to come on that later!
- Swiss Avenue

In The Closet!

Again, here are some more before and after pictures of the closet reno. This is the before shot of our coat closet looking at it from the center of the living room:



And here is the same look of that closet in progress of adding a pantry and TV niche to it:



So the existing closet remains but gets opened up on the other side to create a pantry. A new coat/TV component closet gets built out into the wasted space of the foyer:



And here is a shot of the dry wall completed closet/ TV niche:



Also here is a shot from the hallway of my new pantry!! I don't even know what I'm gonna do with all that storage space:



We have been kicked out of the house since Sunday! They are painting all the trim and doors and walls! Can't wait to see it this weekend!

Demo Derby 3!

Last night we came home to this:
A new built in TV niche and a new closet!!


So this is before:



And... This is after:


On the right is the exisiting closet that's now opened on the other side to form a shelved pantry. I can't wait for all the extra storage!! The framed out left side is the new coat closet. It will be basically the same size that it was. The center outside cut out is what will house the flat screen. Inside the coat closet will be all the tv components. We are getting a wireless remote thingy. I hope all renovations will move this fast!

Demo Derby 2!

The fire place, parquet, baseboards, and carpet are all GONE!

Check out before:


And standing, viewing the same place, after shot:


I will miss decorating it for the holidays, like here: Mantle Times. BUT you cannot beat the added space with a stick! We are going to love it!

Today the wall framing should be coming down! Stay tuned for progress shots!

Demo Derby!

So after much deliberation and hard work we have decided to stay in our house and rennovate!! We did have it on the market: listing photos here. But now we want to stay and make it our own!

So excited to go home tonight to see the progress on the fireplace demo! I know people are going to read this and think I'm totally insane for demo'ing a fireplace, normally I would agree, but this thing was MASSIVE! We calculated and estimated that we will gain about 50 square feet in the living/dining room when adding in the dead space next to it that wasn't usable. Yes, you read that correct, that's a 5-0, not a 1-5, in square footage! It also will open the living and dining room into one large "open concept" living space. We are also doing other renovations which I'll get into at a later date.

See before of massive, yet charming, yet cluttered, fireplace:



De-cluttered for demo:


Side view:


So huge:


Stay tuned for after photos!

Mantle Times are Here!

Over the weekend I primped and picked at my fireplace mantle. I love the added glow the lights give off to the living room, it makes it feel so warm! Every year the decor gets tweaked slightly and I think I'm finally done with it for this December 2010! I did the same blueish, greenish, greyish, and silver color scheme as last year's mantle.

Here is the before every day mantle: cluttered with stuff collecting dust all year-

I first removed all the clutter and added the greenery (which had the key still tied in it from last year's Christmas-ized mantle, whoopsie!)

I then added my mercury glass tree, felt snow flakes in browns, blues, and greens. Also a key plaque that I made from an old canvas:

I added air plants this year in tall vases. They are a greenish grey color that I love! I love that I can add stuff I had laying around the house too!

Our sage green snowflake stockings were hung with care, and by care I mean cream colored ribbon.

I added cut out kraft paper initials to each stocking to represent who they belonged to. This way Santa will know which one to put coal in... Riann's.

Here is the boring before, again:

And the festive after:

In the words of Riann: "Holiday [and mantle] Times are here!!"



Un-VAMPED Guest Room!

My guest room was dark like a VAMPIRE's Lair. It had all the un-dead's desires; dark leather and wood furniture, a dark red quilt that had little bite marks on the corner, (Not a vampire's but a dog's.)

Here is a shot of before, Vampire's Inn:

Dark and boring for the living.

Well I thought when I travel and stay at a friends house I always feel more comfortable if there is a nice guest room to retreat to at the end of the day. So when we had guests a while back I realized beforehand that I DON'T have that. I have a cave fit for Sookie and Bill. So I set my sights on brightening and exercising the demons.

Cheerful and bright after:

I placed some artwork that I had painted a couple of years back, originally for over the fireplace, up over the bed. I eventually hung that picture a couple of inches above the headboard and didnt just leave it sitting on top of it. I wasnt looking to spend even $100 on this so this was all done with recyling and re using a lot of things I already owned. I did purchase a few things to which I will tally up below.

With the additions of white and soft blue colors, it made a major transformation from dark and dreary to crisp and comfortable.

Total spent on the re-vamping, or un-vamping, or whatever:
2 new fluffy pillows: $6.00 Wal-Mart

1 Blue quilted throw pillow: $4.00 Home Goods

1 White subtle striped comforter: $30.00 Home Goods

1 Quilted pillow sham: $7.00 Home Goods (There was only 1 there or else I would have gotten 2!)

2 white 300-count pillow cases: $8.00 Home Goods

1 Blue throw blanket: $20.00 Home Goods

2 Brown and blue striped pillows: Free! Previously owned

1 Set blue sheets: Free! Previously owned.

2 Pieces of artwork: Free! Painted myself and previously owned.

Furniture: Free! Previously owned in my vampire phase.

3 Blue mercury glass candle cups on bedside table: Free! Previously owned!

1 Everyday Reading Bible on bedside table: Free, incase we have to use it for an exorcism.

Grand Total: $75.00

Dining Room Chairs

I just asked for some Tolix aka Marais AC chairs for my birthday! I have been in LOOOOVVE with them for forever now. I thought they would look so nice around my dining room table.  Technically they are outdoor garden chairs, but I think with a cute cushion they could be really nice dining room chairs.

Here is an original French ad for the antique outdoor garden chair:

Can I tell you how this antique French ad made me love them even more!

Well they are ridic expensive, especially the antique originals. I stumbled across the blog Thirteen and South who talked about the knock offs they found for a fraction of the price!! Im no chair snob so of course I love the knock offs and the knock off price ($99)!

I have a dark wood table like the one below so I thought they would look perfect! Imagine this scene below with little cute (possibly hand sewn) cushions.

Pic from Thirteen and South

So maybe I shouldn't be dreading this upcoming (30th) birthday after all! Ha ha! Just kidding, chairs aren't gonna make me feel any younger!

Central Park!

Going through my iPhone photos this week and noticed some landscapes that I needed to show off.

I was in New York, New York last January and took these pictures in Central Park. Can you tell how freezing cold it was?? The coldest I have ever been!

 I would love to frame these photos and do some sort of photo collage on my wall. Which wall though?! I'm out of wall space already!

Love Letters!

I'm LOVING these letters.

You can buy the whole alphabet in note cards at Laughing Elephant!

Maybe something useful for wedding time? Hummmm...

They also have these Art Deco cards that I want, I want, I want, I need, I need!

And this is just making my heart bleed...ouch. We talked about going to Capri for a honeymoon. Money wise probably can't swing it, so I'll just have to look at this wood sign and daydream instead!

Wouldn't this Little Bo Peep wooden sign be so sweet for a babies room? I love it!

I love it and want it all!!

The Doors!

Come'on baby light my fire! I have a huge wall with a vaulted ceiling in my living room and for a while now I have been thinking about hanging an old door there. Riann doesnt really agree, but I think I can change her mind. I dont want another framed print, or canvas. I want something that is textural and dimensional.

This is what I had in mind:

Wooden, beaten down old doors, just hanging on the wall? Am I crazy? Other people have done it! Check out Completely Costal! I wouldnt adorn it with anything, just leave it plain and beaten down.

Maybe add an antique knob and lock? What do you think? I think I'm convinced.

Jenna's Wedding Part 2

Let's continue the wedding convo!

Jenna had a great collection of clear glass vases. Mostly cylindrical and different heights, also very green! She purchased these moss covered rocks, grass leaves, and river rocks to make a really pretty contrast to the bright pink gerbera daisies she planned on using. We came up with the idea of floating the moss rocks and gerbera daisies above the river rocks. We also spun a layer of the bright green grass leaves beneath the moss rocks. So the day of my duties included setting up the center pieces, guest book table and cake table.

The center pieces turned out really pretty with so many layers of color:

She also had some goldy brown tulle that I tussled (is that a word? It's the only one I can come up with right now.) on the center of the table to create these little "nests" for the pillar candles and vases.

Jenna wrapped each pillar candle with the shards of grass leaves to give them some visual interest and tied it back in with the vase.

Once I had all of those done I was out of the cylindrical vases, so I called in for reinforcement from the Mother Hoarder of them all... my mom. She brought me three extra vases, two of which I used on the head table.

They weren't exactly the cylinder shape of the others so I sort of disguised them with the tulle. It worked somehow and was a pretty compliment to the sprig of orchids in the middle.

I wanted to keep the orchids in tact because they made a bold statement in the center of the head table.  I floated the moss rocks and sunk the river rocks to make the stem stand straight. I also added a wooden V (for the newly married couple's last name), that I painted black under the center orchid vase. Barely noticeable to anyone but Jenna and Tom, which was the point!

Jenna and Tom were so appreciative and I kept telling them, "Don't thank me! I just love doing it!"