Thursday, September 29, 2016

The Living Room is DONE!!!

The living room is DONE.  D.  O.  N.  E.  DONE!  We finished all of the baseboards in the areas where we got the new floors down and got a rug and some curtains up in the living room.  Got some art on the walls in the living room and re-hung our family pictures down the hallway.  All in time for the Lularoe party I hosted.  YAY!





For the floors we went with TrafficMaster Laminate in Lakeshore Pecan from Home Depot.  The price and the reviews were too good to pass up.  Is it our forever floor?  Probably not, but at the same basic cost as carpet without installation fees it was a no brainer for us.  Hard surfaces vs. carpet?  No competition in our house.  Hard surface for the win.  The color looks great against the wall colors we had already chosen, and we love how much bigger and more open the spaces feel by having a single type of flooring and one that reflects light.  Before we had carpet in the dining and living room, and vinyl in the foyer.  So, so, so much better.  We knew going into it that we wanted to replace the wimpy 3 inch baseboards with something bigger, which had the added benefit of making the floor instatllation easier.  The 5 inch baseboards are a much better scale.














I got the rug and curtains from Home Goods and though the rug could probably be a little bigger, I am happy with the overall effect.  We have had that coffee table for years, we bought it for $50 off Craig's List.  I still want to try upholstering the top but that has to wait on time and funds, just like everything else in my life!  The side table is a cute, faux bamboo with caned bottom shelf from Salvation Army that we spray painted navy.  For $5 I am super happy with it.  The built-in's the hubby and his dad built and the T.V. stand was built by the hubby from 2 Ikea Rast dressers.







I am over the moon happy with how it all turned out and am so thankful that we went ahead and did this rather than waiting until we had saved up for engineered hardwood.  That would have been very nice too but I know how long term projects like that can get derailed by life.  I even checked the market around our area and carpet vs, laminate vs. hardwood doesn't impact the price too greatly so I think this was by far the best decision we could make for this time in our life.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

HGTV in Savannah!

I did not watch the premier of Vintage Savannah, but I am sure I would love the show.  I am going to have to wait for it to make it to Netflix since we don't have cable but the whole premise is totally exciting to me and both Linn Gresham and Leah Bailey have mad skills.  Savannah has a thriving Historic District and a love for old homes, but that doesn't mean there aren't some out there that need a lot of love.  And I can't wait to see these two do it.

I first discovered Ms. Gresham in July 2010 thanks to Better Homes and Gardens.  I loved their feature on the red roofed bungalow that she and her husband restored.  And it made me aware for the first time of a design community in Savannah.

courtesy of Savannah area MLS
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I have less exposure to Ms. Bailey, but anyone who helps to foster creative community deserves as much praise as can be given.

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I hope the show continues and I really can't wait to see some of it!  Yay, Savannah!

Thursday, September 15, 2016

One Room Down

So, we got baseboards in the dining room and got the furniture back in there.  That cleared our bedroom out since we had all of our china and crystal hanging out on top of our dressers while we were working in there.  We did a little rearranging while we were at it, but I find it amazing how much more open the space feels with a consistent floor going on into the foyer.




























I found some curtains and a rug for the living room earlier this week so hopefully we can finish up in there this weekend.  We still have the hall and the foyer to get the baseboards installed in too but we have motivation!  I am hosting a Lularoe party in a week and a half and can't have the house trashed for it!

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Are we there yet?!?!?!?!

Sooooooo, despite the weather, we got most of the floors down.  All of the public spaces are done, we just need to reinstall baseboards.



Then I can start putting the house back together and trying to finish up the last touches of the living room.

If only I could wave a magic wand and have it be done. . . . Bibbity, bobbity, boo!

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Serene Spaces for Stormy Weather

Well, Happy Labor Day Hermine!  My in-laws are coming to town this weekend to help us lay the new floors but we are probably going to be having some fantastic weather!  If we didn't have plans to do something it would be great, I love the wind and rain and develop a party spirit when we get some minor tropical weather.  But, it sure isn't great for accomplishing home improvement projects.

In other news, I wanted to record some blogs I have discovered lately that I don't want to forget about.  I am so bad about finding things online and then totally forgetting about them and then not remembering enough to find them again.

I found bungalow blue from Instagram and her feed and blog are both so inspiring.  Her style is so crisp and clean and classic.  I love all of the all white spaces that have been permeating blogs so much for the last few years, but her use of color sets her apart and gives such a warmth and livability to her spaces.

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Another new to me blogger that I discovered via Instagram is Becki Owens.  Again, incredibly polished and timeless style.  You can tell she has that California style that is all the rage right now, but I think her designs are a little more classic in feel than some.  

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Well, off to monitor the weather situation.  May be enjoying some hurricanes or dark and stormy's this weekend!