Rambling Renovators: February 2011

It's Feeling Hot Hot Hot

It's getting hot in here folks - and not just because we've only got six weeks to get the living room done! The electrical will be finished up this Wednesday so for now my ceiling is a mix of pot lights, holes, and hanging wires. It always looks worse before it gets better, right?

HandyMan and I are moving along and purchased the fireplace. So here's the thing about the fireplace... although we loved the old wood burning fireplace, it wasn't going to work for our family. Rocks were literally falling off the front and the hearth was cracked so we would have to replace it. The fireplace, placed on an angle, also took up a huge amount of floorspace so we'd need a smaller unit. Plus, with plans for expanding our family, we knew we didn't want to have a fireplace that was so accessible to wandering little hands.

Where did that leave us? Well, we decided to get one of these:

That's the Skyline fireplace by Marquis. We've decided to place the fireplace flat against the wall (back towards the dining room) to minimize its size. That meant we only had a 48" wall to work with and this particular model fit the size and had a nice tall flame as compared to other similar styles. The idea is to build out a floor-to-ceiling rectangular frame to house the fireplace. We'll add in some details, like tiling right up to the glass edge, and recessing the base and the top to make it appear like it floats and less like a massive thing the room.

I've done a bit of shopping for tile to face the fireplace - and let me tell you, this is no easy task! We want something that blends in a bit and fits with our decor. So no slate, no rustic stone, nothing too dark and heavy. We keep getting drawn to a variation of our kitchen backsplash... some sort of marble mosaic.

Not all of these are fireplace options (I was also shopping for something for the eventual basement bathroom). I am still unsure though. I haven't been able to find many white marble fireplaces so I'm guessing its not typically used there. And now, I read Carol's take on modern fireplaces and I'm worried we've picked both an ugly fireplace and the wrong tile!!! Agh. I don't know how to mix a modern fireplace in a traditional home!

Just joking. Sorta. I'm so indicisive about the fireplace... and we don't have much time to figure it out.

Weekend

It's the weekend! Hope yours is filled with some lazy breakfast eating, some fresh outdoor-air-breathing, perhaps some thrifting, and definitely lots of relaxing.

*****

I'd like to thank all of you who drop by Rambling Renovators. I appreciate all of your comments, your tweets, and your emails. Each and every one makes me smile. xoxo.

Photo via http://prettystuff.tumblr.com

The Living Room: Patch, Paint & Geraldo Rivera

So here's what the living room is looking like. Using a steamer we rented from Home Depot, we managed to strip all the wallpaper off in about six hours. We accidentally found a helpful tip... we found that the top vinyl layer of the wallpaper could be removed by hand first, leaving the glue backing on the wall. Then steaming this glue backing off went a lot quicker and easier than attempting to strip both the vinyl and glue at the same time.

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you'll know that upon removing the wallpaper, we discovered an area of the bumpout wall that was hollow. I don't know how we never noticed it before. It looked to be a rectangle covered with plywood... could it be an original fireplace? This would make sense because our attached neighbour did have a fireplace on the other side of the wall. The bumpout wasn't deep, only about 6 inches. This meant that either the fireplace (if there was one) was purely decorative, or the fireplace cavity was recessed and it was a working one (which might cause us to totally rethink the room layout). So we made like Geraldo Rivera and did a little digging behind the wall...

Hmpfh. So I guess we'll leave the fireplace where it is, in the corner. We sanded and patched the walls and electrical should be done by the weekend and then we can start building the frame for the fireplace. In the meantime, we have to settle on the paint colour. Here's samples of the front runner, Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore. Its a light taupey gray, and works with both the yellow and brown tones of the dining room and the darker gray paint in the hallway.

More to come...

Sarah 101: Classic Ensuite

Alright, you guys are going to have forgive my lack of any real depth in this post. I tried to watch Sarah 101 twice today and was twice thwarted! The noon showing had no sound the entire episode, if you can believe it! And the little one just wouldn't go to bed so I missed the 9pm showing too. Argh. (Note to self: get a PVR!).

I would have loved to have seen this episode. Bathrooms can be notoriously expensive rooms to renovate so I would have liked to have heard Sarah's tips on where to save and where to splurge. From what I can see, she did her signature touches of mixing tiles to get an interesting and high end look, and putting an accent wall in the shower. And looky - that gray band of accent tile is the same one from Lowe's that we used in our bathroom reno.

Most of the fixtures and furnishings she used in this room were purchased in a big box store, if I'm not mistaken. I think she achieved a nice look, not too fancy but not boring and predictable either. What do you all think? And please, fill me in on what I missed!

Living Room: Out With The Ugly

It was a holiday here today, Family Day, and what better way to spend it than patching and sanding the living room walls with HandyMan and my Dad :) The living room reno has begun (7.5 weeks to get it all done in time for Chloe's 2nd birthday party!) and we made a good start this weekend. But first, let me share the Before photos of the space I've kept hidden from you all till now. Now brace yourselves. Here is the view of the room walking in from the front hallway...

Yes, people, THIS IS THE FIRST ROOM YOU SEE IN MY HOUSE. Have I sufficiently shocked you all?? I know, you're thinking "But the rest of your house looks so nice... how can you live with THIS?" Same question I've asked myself for the last four years. We did the dining room and kitchen reno first, and then we got pregnant so the nursery and bathroom reno kinda took priority, and then, well, we kinda just got used to the space. You know how it goes, right? Right??

Let me show you around. You can see HandyMan and my old sofas, the sunwashed carpet from Mama HandyMan's place (which replaced a scratchy sisal rug not suitable for newborn knees), the 1980's wallpaper (complete with fade marks), and the modern ottoman from HandyMan's old condo. What a mish-mash. And that in the corner? Kiddie Chaos. Overflowing toy boxes, grocery cart, ride-on toys, books, art supplies, and mini-throne. This is as neat as it gets unfortunately.

Turn to the left and you can see the sideboard with the old school map we bought and the only plant in the house we haven't managed to kill. We had the plantation shutters installed a few months after we moved in. We removed the previous owner's frilly curtains but we didn't remove the curtain tacking strip above the window. That's just how we roll.

To your right is my old dinosaur of a TV. Seriously, it weighs about 200 pounds. I'd love to replace it but I don't want to have to move it (ha!). If you look closely, you'll notice that the wall behind the TV is devoid of wallpaper. That's because the living room used to look like this when we moved in:

And now it looks like this:

The giant wood-burning fireplace took up a good chunk of the room and we knew we wanted to replace it with something smaller and sleeker (and get rid of that weird bulkhead) so out it went... four years ago. Which means for the last four years, I've also been living with that {leaky} chimney hole running up through the ceiling covered with a piece of masonite, the chipped original plaster molding, the yellowed wall, and the partial baseboard. UG-LY.

But that's the thing. The room sure was ugly, but it was also livable and functional. And when you have few reno hours between baby naps, a limited budget, and try and do most of the work yourself, ugly falls to the bottom of the list. Until now that is :)

With a halt on the basement reno, ugly just got a whole lot more unlivable. More progress on the living room to come!

**I will go hide my head in shame now**

In The Houzz

Thanks everyone for your comments on the blog redesign! I was really nervous about changing things around so I'm glad I didn't scare you all off :)

The fine folks at Houzz featured us in one of their Houzz tours today. You can check it out below:

Houzz Tour: See a Traditional Home for Modern Life

Houzz- Kitchen Design, Bathroom Design and More»

Interior Design and Decor:

Kitchen Design · Bathroom Design · Living Room Design · Bedroom Design · Dining Room Design · Patio Design · Landscaping Design ·

And how cool is this slideshow gadget? If you use Houzz, you can share your ideabooks and photos on your blog. Do any of you use Houzz? It is full of tons of inspiration.

The Birth of a Blog

Hello friends. Yes, you've come to the right place. This is still Rambling Renovators, though things are looking quite a bit different around here.

It was time to give the blog a makeover. Time for it to grow up and get a bit more polished. I put this blog together myself (shocking, I know) as you could tell by the simple layout and cute but amateurish header and I've made some small tweaks here and there but essentially this blog has looked the same since the day she was born. Almost 4 years and 590 posts later, it was time she started acting her age.

Part of the reason I haven't had my blog redesigned is because I found the task so daunting. I mean, your blog conveys a lot about you, right? It gives a glimpse of your style, what you like, how you think and organize. The old blog never felt quite right but it was just easier to keep it simple than try and figure out what impression I wanted to make. What did I want to say?

I wasn't sure but I thought I'd follow the motto "stick with what you know". This being a house blog, I looked to my house and its transformation over the last four years and this is what I know...

...I like tradition interpreted in a contemporary way. I like details and layers and attention paid to the smallest of things. I like vintage type and objects with character. I like a sense of history and a feeling of welcome. I like order and symmetry and well organized spaces. I like the contrast of black and white. I choose classic over modern, and prefer more rather than less. And I think this new look conveys that.

Just like home though, there are bound to be things I want to change once I lived with them for a while. So forgive me if things don't look quite right because I'm still poking around, tidying things up and putting them back in their place. You'll still see what you came here to see... original content, tales of renos and DIYs, a bit of family life, and inspiration for design. Change is good and it never ends but for now, this blog finally feels like home.

*****

My blog redesign was done the wonderful Lindsay at Lindsay Nicole Design Studio. I've been on the lookout for a blog designer for a long time and once I found her, I knew my search had ended. Blogs like this one and this one which she designed completely charmed me. Her aesthetic is clean and modern yet always personalized. She was able to take my inspiration and translate that into a blog design that felt very me. How cool is that. Not to mention that she made the whole process a simple, easy, and quick one. I'm happy to promote her as my first sponsor and I highly endorse her services. Do check her out if you're considering a blog design of your own!

Under Construction

It's time friends. Time for this little blog to get a makeover. We'll be under construction this weekend so there won't be any new posts until Monday. In the meantime, feel free to browse through the archives. Here's some of my favourites from the last four years:

2007 - Take a peek at the first place I called home

2008 - Having fun with the bathroom layout here and here

2009 - Making room for baby and watching her grow up

2010 - A place for rest and play

See you on Monday with a brand new look!

xoxo

Blog spotlight: Arren Williams

I'm over at Arren Williams' blog today participating in his {that one great thing} series. Arren is a stylist, trend reporter, regular guest expert on CityTV's CityLine, and always entertaining host of my Pecha Kucha events. Can we say multi-talented?

Arren is constantly ahead of the curve, spotting the latest trends before they even make a ripple in blogland. I love these flouncy umbrellas by Santa Barbara Designs that he recently featured.

He also displays a deft hand in decorating his own home. Just look at his rooms below, each deliciously modern and retro, with a European flavour. If you want to see how to expertly mix patterns and furniture from different genres, head on over to Arren's blog for inspiration! Thanks for having me over for a visit, Arren.

Photos by Angus Fergusson for House & Home, courtesy of Arren Williams.

Sarah 101: Contemporary Living

This week, Sarah tackled a long and narrow living and dining space. I think Sarah is good at many things but she is great at space planning so I was interested in seeing how she addressed this challenging layout.

She maximized the layout by using smaller scale furniture and reworking a floor plan to account for circulation space and create conversation zones. In a brilliant move, she ditched the traditional dining table and chairs and instead used a space-saving custom L-shaped banquette, round dining table, and accent chairs. The furniture tended towards the mid-century modern. Arm chairs were teak, leggy, and updated with graphic fabric. While having so much vintage furniture in a small space can feel too retro, Sarah kept it light by adding contemporary curtains and modern touches of chrome side tables, lucite curtain rods, and a glass stair rail.

She paired this with textural elements like bold grasscloth, an Egyptian brass pendant lamp (which I recently spotted at the IDS preview), and a zebra print rug. Speaking of the rug, Sarah had two rugs stitched together to get the exact custom size she needed. Smart idea! All in all, though some of the furniture isn't my cup of tea, I think the room works. Its a highly functional design and one the homeowners say has increased their use and enjoyment of the space. Really, isn't that what we're all trying to achieve in our own homes?

Tips from the show:

- use chairs to act as room dividers

- when using vintage pieces, recover them in complementary fabrics (like the geometric 1960's-esque fabric Sarah used)

- repeat pattern in a room. Use one strong statement (like a curtain) and keep others more subtle (like pillow cushions)

- choose flowers that enhance your room design. Tall, linear pussy willows worked well in this modern space

- have multiple storage spots (like storage cubes to house toys) to keep clutter at a minimum

A Sweet Day

How appropriate that today's mail brought these sweet little things.

I won them on Jason's blog. (He takes the best photos and I get lost in his moody playlists so take a gander over there if you're craving something beautiful). They're the Sweetheart sandals from Salt Water Sandals. Little hearts for the little one who stole my heart. Aren't they adorable? I can't wait to see Chloe wearing them all about this summer.

I hope your Valentine's Day was sweet. HandyMan surprised me with tickets to the Opera. I surprised him with molten lava cake. It was a perfect day full of love. xoxo.

A Change Of Plans

Why, hello there shiny new LG steam washer and dryer...

... sitting there in my old basement.

Wait, back up. Isn't there supposed to be a basement renovation going on here? Why yes, yes there is. Last we left it, we had figured out the layout and were discussing things with our contractor. A few things got in the way, like the holidays and an unexpected trip to New York, but the plan was good and we only had to agree on a price.

Let me say that hiring tradespeople sometimes requires a bit of give and take. In our experience, some trades do fantastic work but their price is too high, or they have poor communication skills, or they take too long. It is rare to find one who does great work on schedule and on budget with little grief - and if you do find one of those, hold onto them for dear life! So when we started on this basement reno journey, we knew we wanted to work with our contractor N. He had worked with us before, doing part of our bathroom, doing lots of great work at my sister's house and HandyMan's uncle's house. We knew his quality of work so we were willing to put up with some less desirable qualities.

Unfortunately, one of those undesirable qualities was an inability to provide a fair quote based on the scope of work. Prices changed each time we talked, quotes increased when work was removed, things cost many times more than we knew they should, and getting a response took days. And yet, we were close. We wanted to work with him and were willing give and take here and there. But it wasn't enough, so here we are... plan in hand, new washer and dryer installed, new vanity in storage, and half our garage overtaken with Ikea cabinetry for the new laundry room.

We're hoping to find a new contractor soon, but in the meantime, we've decided to change course. With Chloe's 2nd birthday in two months, we hoped to host the party at home and need a space for guests. So we've decided to renovate the living room over the next eight weeks, and keep the basement as is so partying toddlers won't have to play musical chairs amongst all the construction debris.

A few of you have noticed that I've never shown the living room on my blog. I'll give you a tour soon and you'll see why. Its basically Chloe's indoor playground and a place where mismatched furniture goes to die. Oh, and then there's the leaky hole in the ceiling from where we removed the fireplace FOUR YEARS AGO. Sigh. Yes, I've been holding out on you. Guilty as charged. Hopefully once I show you my brand spanking new living room you'll forgive me though.

Eight weeks, people. Gotta get moving!

Old School Finds

I thought I'd do another little vignette on my sideboard and show you our finds from Antique Avenue...

I have been on the lookout for an old school map for the longest time. They're hard to come by, and the ones I have seen have been in the $150-250 range. As soon as we got to the store, we asked if they had one. And they did! And it was a map of Canada! And... it was only $30!!! YES. Best vintage score to date :) It says copyright 1961. Aside from the staining down one edge, its in great condition. Oh, and it has a more detailed map on the back! It'll look great in the play room.

I also got the little honey tin ($8). I love the colours on it. Eventually I want to put it in the craft area and fill it with Chloe's paintbrushes. It looks good paired with the tin toy carousel I picked up in New York and a tin that once contained Dutch stroopwafels (sooooo yummy). I picked the lamp up at HomeSense for Chloe's big girl room. I want to eat the pretty milk glass base right up.

This little quartet came home with us too ($10). Unfortunately, Papa Pig rolled out of the bag and they were forgotten in the car on a very cold night. The temperature change was too much for them to take because their wood has cracked and the paint is starting to chip off. Only baby pig escaped unharmed. Sad but I might have to toss this little swine family out.

Lots of good finds at that store. I just hope prices don't rise now that I've blogged about them, lol!

Sarah 101: After The After

Many of you were quite interested in what Geeta really thought of her dining room and her experience on Sarah 101. While Geeta wasn't entirely happy with the chairs and artwork that were featured on the show, she was really happy with the replacement chairs that Sarah helped her pick out and the artwork she purchased on etsy.

So let's take a look at how the room looks today. Here's the Before (or is it the After?)...

...and here's the After (the After After)

Much more livable, I think, don't you? The chairs are the Cole chairs from Sarah's own line and feature a nice subtle pattern and nailhead trim at the legs. The artwork picks up on the colours in the room (though it is hung a little high because Geeta just temporarily reused the nail that the floral art was hung on!). And with the table set with more modern dishware, the whole room takes on a younger, more classic vibe than it appeared on the show.

I hope you've enjoyed this sneak peek behind Sarah 101. Thanks for sharing Geeta & Jerry! Its good to know that sometimes the happy homeowners we see on TV really are happy.

Sarah 101: Simone's Girls' Rooms

I admit it, I was getting a little blasé about Sarah 101. I've liked the rooms but nothing has really blown me away or given me that signature Sarah "wow" I was looking for. Not until this week's episode, that is.

Maybe its because I have a little girl of my own, but I just loved loved loved these rooms Sarah created for a trio of little girls. The rooms contain a mix of modern and vintage pieces, layered fabrics, sophisticated colour, and touches of whimsy.

In the nursery, Sarah painted the walls a shade of coral (can you say Honeysuckle?). She kept it from being too sweet by pairing it with bright fire-engine red furnishings and accessories. I especially loved the bold floral curtains trimmed with polka dot fabric. The room had a "collected over time" look, as each piece was unique and not too matchy-matchy. Even her finishes didn't match... natural wood on the chair, white paint on the ottoman, a yellow side table, red crib, and creamy dresser... but they all worked together because she stuck to a palette of reds, creams, and yellows.

In the shared girls bedroom, she went for a cooler palette of blues & greens. This is Sarah's favourite colour combo and she's used it many times before in tween rooms, guest bedrooms, and her own cottage. What makes this room a standout for me are the girly details like the curvy headboard and side tables, the swirly brackets, the pleats on the bedskirts, and the crystal knobs. She tied the two rooms together by using pops of yellow, and the same striped carpet in both rooms.

I loved all the DIY touches too like the painted dresser (it was naked pine originally) and especially the storage platforms she sat the beds on. Such a great idea to use velcro to attach the bedskirt to the front of the platform; its pretty and functional and keeps the baskets beneath accessible.

Tips from today's show:

- inspiration can come from unlikely objects. She used two tea towels from Anthropologie as the jumping off points for each room

- your fabrics and paint don't have to match exactly. Use a toned down paint colour for your walls and ceiling

- use carpet as another design element. Keep it fun and 100% wool for kid's rooms

- use pencil when making markings on walls. Pen will bleed through paint.

- vintage furniture is often inexpensive and durable. Use your savings to splurge on blingy handles or knobs to dress up the piece

- consider placing twin beds end to end instead of side by side or in a bunk bed configuration. This makes the room feel more open and gives each child one half of the room to consider their own.

What did you think? Did you love it as much as I did? Or maybe this room just appeals to the other mommas out there?