Friday, January 15, 2010
Greatest Travel Mugs Ever
I fell in love with Moma's 'I am Not a Paper Cup' the first time I saw it. It went on my Christmas wish list and I opened each present hoping it was the cup. Might have been the last thing I opened but I finally got it! A year later and it still makes me happy every time I open my cupboard. Here are a few of my favorite ways to bring your drink with you.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Fruit - Nature's Art
Besides being tasty and good for you, fruit can also serve as a beautiful display in your kitchen. Cheaper than a dozen roses, a dozen lemons in a clear glass container make a bold display. Artichokes in a wooden bowl make for a graphic one. For something a little more romantic, drape grapes over the edge of a bowl. Here is my current vignette on top of my microwave. It changes based on what looks good when we hit the produce aisle.
I suggest using bowls of varying height to create visual interest in your display. I am head over heels for chunky, vintage wooden bowls. Look for pedestal bowls as well shorter ones. Don't be afraid to incorporate different shapes. Milk glass, clear glass and enamel bowls all work well.
The easy part? Buy some delicious fruit! Pineapples, citrus fruits, apples and bananas all pack visual punch, especially when used en mass. Just remember to remove all those little stickers before displaying.
Here are a few bowls that would make great display vessels!
I suggest using bowls of varying height to create visual interest in your display. I am head over heels for chunky, vintage wooden bowls. Look for pedestal bowls as well shorter ones. Don't be afraid to incorporate different shapes. Milk glass, clear glass and enamel bowls all work well.
The easy part? Buy some delicious fruit! Pineapples, citrus fruits, apples and bananas all pack visual punch, especially when used en mass. Just remember to remove all those little stickers before displaying.
Here are a few bowls that would make great display vessels!
Sneak Peek - Upcoming in my Etsy Shop
To say I have a backlog of items to list would be an understatement. I am just taking it little by little, starting with these beauties.
Soon to be listed in Haus Proud's Etsy Shop -
Soon to be listed in Haus Proud's Etsy Shop -
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Upstairs Bathroom
The only word I could use to describe the upstairs bathroom in our house when we first moved in? Frightening. The bathroom alone would have sent most prospective buyers packing. The claw foot tub had been ripped out, leaving a hole in the floor. In that hole? An animal skeleton. Possum or Cat. Still not sure since the skull was missing. Besides that, there was a rusted sink that wouldn't stop running, and at the far end, a toilet that didn't work. The upper part of the walls were covered in creepy black wallpaper and paint, while the lower half sported lavender and black chipped tile. It may have been the bathroom that got our place nicknamed "the Money Pit" by friends and family.
Today? It might be my favorite room in the house. It is now a light and airy, vintage inspired bathroom.
What did this amazing transformation take? Less money than you might think. We did much of the labor ourselves and saved money whenever and wherever possible. We used the money saved to splurge on the items we really wanted.
Here's the full scoop...
We found a replacement for the clawfoot tub through a friend. It needed work though. We had the inside professionally sprayed, painted the outside ourselves and (first of the splurge items) had the feet re-chromed. Another bathroom splurge came in the form of the pipes and shower surround for the tub.
The sink and toilet are from the Kohler Memoirs series. The faucet is from Home Depot, though I plan to replace it when I have money for the Restoration Hardware one I want. Swoon.
The light fixtures, mirror, towel hooks, robe hooks, toilet paper holder and toothbrush holder were all from Restoration Hardware. I really can't say enough about their bathroom fixtures and accessories. In fact, one of the interior designers I worked for installed their fixtures in every bathroom he did!
The paint was Behr from Home Depot and the blinds were custom ordered through my awesome shades guy, to the trade only. The floors? Another great deal. This one from Lumber Liquidators. They have a once a year clearance sale for odd lots and overstocks. Since we only needed 80 square feet, there were small lots left. We ended up with Brazilian Cherry floors for $.99 sq ft! Side note - the sale is popular and we were in line for a good two hours with a list of what was available. By the time we got the front of the line, half of the options were gone. Certainly worth it, but get their early for the best selection.
The rest? Some serious man hours. Especially since it was one of our earlier projects and were still honing our skills. I laboriously stripped all the black paint off of the built-in, window trim and chair rail, while hubby patched walls and installed the bead board panels.
The full breakdown -
Toilet $309.00
Sink $320.00
Tub $200.00
Light Fixtures $400.00
Paint $70.00
Floor $75.00
Floor install $200.00
Mirror $259.00
Hooks $45.00
Towel Ring $39.00
Base Molding $90.00
Beadboard $175.00
Tub Glazing $250.00
Foot Chroming $211.00
Plumbers $1,500.00
Tub pipes $1,300.00
Blinds $80.00
Electrician $200.00
Hardware for Built-In $64.00
Sink Faucet $99.00
$5,886.00
FYI - The national average is $10,000 for a bathroom remodel. Considering we have three (!) bathrooms to replace, that $4,000 savings will certainly come in handy.
Today? It might be my favorite room in the house. It is now a light and airy, vintage inspired bathroom.
What did this amazing transformation take? Less money than you might think. We did much of the labor ourselves and saved money whenever and wherever possible. We used the money saved to splurge on the items we really wanted.
Here's the full scoop...
We found a replacement for the clawfoot tub through a friend. It needed work though. We had the inside professionally sprayed, painted the outside ourselves and (first of the splurge items) had the feet re-chromed. Another bathroom splurge came in the form of the pipes and shower surround for the tub.
The sink and toilet are from the Kohler Memoirs series. The faucet is from Home Depot, though I plan to replace it when I have money for the Restoration Hardware one I want. Swoon.
The light fixtures, mirror, towel hooks, robe hooks, toilet paper holder and toothbrush holder were all from Restoration Hardware. I really can't say enough about their bathroom fixtures and accessories. In fact, one of the interior designers I worked for installed their fixtures in every bathroom he did!
The paint was Behr from Home Depot and the blinds were custom ordered through my awesome shades guy, to the trade only. The floors? Another great deal. This one from Lumber Liquidators. They have a once a year clearance sale for odd lots and overstocks. Since we only needed 80 square feet, there were small lots left. We ended up with Brazilian Cherry floors for $.99 sq ft! Side note - the sale is popular and we were in line for a good two hours with a list of what was available. By the time we got the front of the line, half of the options were gone. Certainly worth it, but get their early for the best selection.
The rest? Some serious man hours. Especially since it was one of our earlier projects and were still honing our skills. I laboriously stripped all the black paint off of the built-in, window trim and chair rail, while hubby patched walls and installed the bead board panels.
The full breakdown -
Toilet $309.00
Sink $320.00
Tub $200.00
Light Fixtures $400.00
Paint $70.00
Floor $75.00
Floor install $200.00
Mirror $259.00
Hooks $45.00
Towel Ring $39.00
Base Molding $90.00
Beadboard $175.00
Tub Glazing $250.00
Foot Chroming $211.00
Plumbers $1,500.00
Tub pipes $1,300.00
Blinds $80.00
Electrician $200.00
Hardware for Built-In $64.00
Sink Faucet $99.00
$5,886.00
FYI - The national average is $10,000 for a bathroom remodel. Considering we have three (!) bathrooms to replace, that $4,000 savings will certainly come in handy.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Domino Magazine: Gone, but Not Forgotten.
I can't tell you how crushed I was to learn that my beloved Domino Magazine was closing it's doors. I would delight in checking the mail, waiting for the new issue. And when it arrived I would stare at the cover for hours before finding a few moments to myself to enjoy. Often I would run a bath and bring my Domino with me to my sacred spot, pouring over every page.
I saved every issue and just pulled out December 2005 to look at a kitchen article I remembered. Besides the fabulous kitchen article, I was amazed to see how current and relevant all the interiors still were, four years later.
Here were a few of my all-time favorites.
I was delighted to hear of Lonny Mag, www.lonnymag.com. A rather Domino-esque online magazine. It's not a perfect replacement for me. Possibly because I can't bring my laptop into the tub with me. But enjoyable nonetheless.
Also of interest, a complete collection of Domino Magazines is available on ebay with a Buy It Now price of close to $500!
Check it out here.
Tempting, but I think I'll keep mine...
I saved every issue and just pulled out December 2005 to look at a kitchen article I remembered. Besides the fabulous kitchen article, I was amazed to see how current and relevant all the interiors still were, four years later.
Here were a few of my all-time favorites.
I was delighted to hear of Lonny Mag, www.lonnymag.com. A rather Domino-esque online magazine. It's not a perfect replacement for me. Possibly because I can't bring my laptop into the tub with me. But enjoyable nonetheless.
Also of interest, a complete collection of Domino Magazines is available on ebay with a Buy It Now price of close to $500!
Check it out here.
Tempting, but I think I'll keep mine...
Kitchen Makeovers - To Ikea or Not to Ikea
I was talking to a friend and client last night about her kitchen. They decided that this will be the year that they remodel their small (but sweet) vintage kitchen. While I do often try to save good vintage kitchens, and remodel money whenever possible, I think I am with them on this on. How can you argue when someone's kitchen just doesn't work for how they live? They cook a lot, don't have a dishwasher, could only fit a mini fridge in to the tiny opening, have limited counter space, limited cabinet space and are isolated from the rest of the house when they are in there. They need to be able to maximize the space the do have, open the space up to the rest of the house and finally fit a dishwasher into the plan.
My mind immediately went to Ikea. For the type of house the have, a clean lined Ikea kitchen would fit the bill, and budget, perfectly. The trick to Ikea cabinets, like all Ikea furnishings, is to use it sparingly. You want people to be surprised that it's Ikea, not feel like they just stepped into the showroom.
Why did my mind go to Ikea? I have worked in the interior design industry for five years now and been surrounded by designers for many years more than that. While they design high end, custom cabinets for their clients, they install Ikea into their own homes. Need proof? Here are a few of my favorites...
Susie Bauer and Will Zemba used the Ikea Numerar countertops, Akurum cabinet bases (though had MDF fronts made, using the original doors as a template) and the Attest handles. My favorite touch though? The brilliant and economic use of linoleum as a floor and backsplash, made modern by cutting the tiles into a subway shape! Photo from the late, great Domino Magazine.
In this kitchen, interior designer Tori Golub used the Ikea Akurum base cabinets with Abstrakt fronts. The glossy white, lacquer like finish is high style. The two inch slab of corian used on the countertops adds a touch of elegance. The wallpaper on the back wall infuses the space with personality and warmth.
My mind immediately went to Ikea. For the type of house the have, a clean lined Ikea kitchen would fit the bill, and budget, perfectly. The trick to Ikea cabinets, like all Ikea furnishings, is to use it sparingly. You want people to be surprised that it's Ikea, not feel like they just stepped into the showroom.
Why did my mind go to Ikea? I have worked in the interior design industry for five years now and been surrounded by designers for many years more than that. While they design high end, custom cabinets for their clients, they install Ikea into their own homes. Need proof? Here are a few of my favorites...
Susie Bauer and Will Zemba used the Ikea Numerar countertops, Akurum cabinet bases (though had MDF fronts made, using the original doors as a template) and the Attest handles. My favorite touch though? The brilliant and economic use of linoleum as a floor and backsplash, made modern by cutting the tiles into a subway shape! Photo from the late, great Domino Magazine.
In this kitchen, interior designer Tori Golub used the Ikea Akurum base cabinets with Abstrakt fronts. The glossy white, lacquer like finish is high style. The two inch slab of corian used on the countertops adds a touch of elegance. The wallpaper on the back wall infuses the space with personality and warmth.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
If you know me, you know that organization is not my strong suit. Not even something I have a moderate grasp on. I try. I really, really try. But the moment I have to work and live it all goes out the window.
But once a year, I feel like I get a fresh start. A mulligan if you will. A time to announce to the world (or at least my friends and family on facebook) that this year will be different. I will be a better me. Organized, tidy, never forgetting to brush my hair and teeth before leaving the house. This will be the year! I think that has been my New Years Resolution every year for the past 5 years. I throw in a few others for good measure (eat healthier, watch less TV, locate and use my cell phone so people can actually get a hold of me) but the overriding theme is that if I could get my life organized, I would be a better me. No more realizing as I am standing at airport security that my license expired OVER two months ago.
So here it is, 2010, and I am once again filled with excitement to start being the better me that I know is in there somewhere... I hope.
But I am heading into this year with a bit of ammo.
1. The shed. Oh, the shed. I love you shed. Let me explain. My beautiful, Craftsman house, was built without a garage. No place to put tools, of which we have collected many for the numerous projects this old house has required, or the leftover materials from them all. No place for paint cans. Chemicals. Suitcases. Ladders. The list goes on (and on, and on). For Christmas my dad, step mom, husband and mother in law went in on a shed for me. BPE! That means Best Present EVER. Thank you all so much. At the moment it sticks out like a sore thumb in the side yard, but I am hoping some paint and well placed landscaping will help in time. But it is a home for all the transient building supplies, materials and tools that clogged my closets for far too long! Seriously, who builds a house without a garage?
2. I am a clipboard junkie. I have random clipboards around the house with half done to-do lists in almost every room. This year I found beautiful clipboards from Target and bought myself three. One for business, one for personal and one for, well, not sure yet, but in design you like things in groups of threes.
3. Pretty file folders. From the Dollar Tree! I like pretty things. And I want to be organized. These just might be the ticket. If it doesn't work out, I'm only out $2.
4. The Apartment Therapy Eight Week Cure (and I managed to con a friend into doing it with me). Great book from a great design blog. At least the first half of the book was good the first time I tried to follow the plan before I totally went off the rails...
5. A resolute resolution that this year will be THE year!
Now I head off into 2010. You might not even recognize me next time you see me because I will be so much, well, better. And my hair and teeth might be brushed.
But once a year, I feel like I get a fresh start. A mulligan if you will. A time to announce to the world (or at least my friends and family on facebook) that this year will be different. I will be a better me. Organized, tidy, never forgetting to brush my hair and teeth before leaving the house. This will be the year! I think that has been my New Years Resolution every year for the past 5 years. I throw in a few others for good measure (eat healthier, watch less TV, locate and use my cell phone so people can actually get a hold of me) but the overriding theme is that if I could get my life organized, I would be a better me. No more realizing as I am standing at airport security that my license expired OVER two months ago.
So here it is, 2010, and I am once again filled with excitement to start being the better me that I know is in there somewhere... I hope.
But I am heading into this year with a bit of ammo.
1. The shed. Oh, the shed. I love you shed. Let me explain. My beautiful, Craftsman house, was built without a garage. No place to put tools, of which we have collected many for the numerous projects this old house has required, or the leftover materials from them all. No place for paint cans. Chemicals. Suitcases. Ladders. The list goes on (and on, and on). For Christmas my dad, step mom, husband and mother in law went in on a shed for me. BPE! That means Best Present EVER. Thank you all so much. At the moment it sticks out like a sore thumb in the side yard, but I am hoping some paint and well placed landscaping will help in time. But it is a home for all the transient building supplies, materials and tools that clogged my closets for far too long! Seriously, who builds a house without a garage?
2. I am a clipboard junkie. I have random clipboards around the house with half done to-do lists in almost every room. This year I found beautiful clipboards from Target and bought myself three. One for business, one for personal and one for, well, not sure yet, but in design you like things in groups of threes.
3. Pretty file folders. From the Dollar Tree! I like pretty things. And I want to be organized. These just might be the ticket. If it doesn't work out, I'm only out $2.
4. The Apartment Therapy Eight Week Cure (and I managed to con a friend into doing it with me). Great book from a great design blog. At least the first half of the book was good the first time I tried to follow the plan before I totally went off the rails...
5. A resolute resolution that this year will be THE year!
Now I head off into 2010. You might not even recognize me next time you see me because I will be so much, well, better. And my hair and teeth might be brushed.
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