tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89563635466244641642024-03-29T05:19:13.845-04:00Design + Renovation + Staging~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.comBlogger464125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-59498645152903754642022-05-18T14:42:00.002-04:002022-05-19T07:41:18.705-04:00Stow Bungalow - Upstairs Bedroom<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the award for most-drastic transformation goes to... the second floor! This was the state of the upstairs when we bought the house and honestly, it made me so excited. It's a blank slate! There was so much potential. It could only get better from here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2vFHEByzuUUkIZyxG_cJ78NH0u76Myk1yNE6t9OEAk-ff3iM2NE9g2N9PJsZZwEJGJ1xSyaVHXN8aFNPyMyTXFmBmw3PcBxb5sW1Hlfx41TOr4Y5Bg3mC2tSkDfwQhdxf-adUkZ4KXixt0utRJU-IFWjO3DFA87EgIukHpt-atHvbVm5GFedajmytA/s640/PS1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2vFHEByzuUUkIZyxG_cJ78NH0u76Myk1yNE6t9OEAk-ff3iM2NE9g2N9PJsZZwEJGJ1xSyaVHXN8aFNPyMyTXFmBmw3PcBxb5sW1Hlfx41TOr4Y5Bg3mC2tSkDfwQhdxf-adUkZ4KXixt0utRJU-IFWjO3DFA87EgIukHpt-atHvbVm5GFedajmytA/w480-h640/PS1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first order of business was putting in a subfloor so that no one stepped in between the beams and poked through the ceiling of the first floor (though our plumber still managed to do just that) then insulation could be installed and it wouldn't be freezing to work up there. We hemmed and hawed about what to do to bring light into the bedroom and talked about creating a bump-out to match the one in the bathroom, but eventually settled on having skylights installed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopltdfnYSL5VWX1XaWgwXETvNEhQUTJUdr2ZPZjXnTyxISwrC_0aP5qmpmXBgHicf8Skvd2X_VeLC2tD6qwQwMwfljAgolvadsMayHdPVt7HNSSfo1et9U954NT1EhXa3mjX5TyvAx9AX4Q7KmaVQ4uxR_gs849k4WtiUbjx9Pean3Tb5HMPnFWvBWQ/s640/PS4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="640" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopltdfnYSL5VWX1XaWgwXETvNEhQUTJUdr2ZPZjXnTyxISwrC_0aP5qmpmXBgHicf8Skvd2X_VeLC2tD6qwQwMwfljAgolvadsMayHdPVt7HNSSfo1et9U954NT1EhXa3mjX5TyvAx9AX4Q7KmaVQ4uxR_gs849k4WtiUbjx9Pean3Tb5HMPnFWvBWQ/w640-h422/PS4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We decided not to do drywall on the ceiling because the room would just be a little too white. So we used more of the beadboard that we used in the kitchen as well as shiplap. The closet space we left untouched so that the buyer can customize it to their liking, whether that mean shelves or racks. I really hope that whoever buys this home appreciates what we did and how we transformed the second floor into a livable space. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpI3nvrtCgyj1BEL1Z6eP76rjTBXK7P9Us66xsqYtYLjx42MT1JtmkpBT2mO7ZwW9w8efPUgHaF0BboI_QikOVahZQMoGobyN7COBMFvfj0B9I_hmq0kLJocROx3I2NlnC1dVyHbl-vUwZH-KQhKX498NPvQfLMVdQEmhlLl0nuoWlNIbiZltYk5zFDw/s1124/PS2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1124" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpI3nvrtCgyj1BEL1Z6eP76rjTBXK7P9Us66xsqYtYLjx42MT1JtmkpBT2mO7ZwW9w8efPUgHaF0BboI_QikOVahZQMoGobyN7COBMFvfj0B9I_hmq0kLJocROx3I2NlnC1dVyHbl-vUwZH-KQhKX498NPvQfLMVdQEmhlLl0nuoWlNIbiZltYk5zFDw/w640-h412/PS2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYe4G-ytz4urwZzSBr1Ths0KJNPBAH3HuYZf9q_MHYzjnyTGBi7FxEB035zp30Yj6JPafL6erNCDtr3FXOgIa8W11Z_OPc50Go3z57KskqwunDJN8gYQ1-TGjDzkhKzK_YcchmoPlcknCqgJfnvrzxVPBHD0zfxfTqr7suxvHWlsg_226A9OAv1whCA/s1435/PS3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1435" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYe4G-ytz4urwZzSBr1Ths0KJNPBAH3HuYZf9q_MHYzjnyTGBi7FxEB035zp30Yj6JPafL6erNCDtr3FXOgIa8W11Z_OPc50Go3z57KskqwunDJN8gYQ1-TGjDzkhKzK_YcchmoPlcknCqgJfnvrzxVPBHD0zfxfTqr7suxvHWlsg_226A9OAv1whCA/w640-h418/PS3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~ Stephanie</div><br /> <p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-68836872133105423892022-05-17T14:13:00.003-04:002022-05-17T14:13:00.202-04:00Stow Bungalow - First Floor Bedrooms Revealed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I just want to start off by saying that paint color and the stain of your floors absolutely affects the light in a room. You may disagree with me but the images below are proof of that. All three first-floor bedrooms line the Eastern facing side of the house so in the morning the light in them is incredible. But seriously, changing the paint color and using a clear stain on the floor drastically changes things.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQ5QaWpkXcw9QYZxu7tXSx2Hv98_rvMd8ZPTILcJ9z0NRHvlmawawKFLVLBDpYb3EkuovOlGNU3DJ64Z6gX-i6Cy3A0TwT0G27PtXU77p7LIJXaqEIta1f3N48djTuIuRHXNShvVszrzyBmJEfk5SHhuh0BuQjwpfapLyng-rBrcH1Vapt-p4GC6tjg/s640/BR%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQ5QaWpkXcw9QYZxu7tXSx2Hv98_rvMd8ZPTILcJ9z0NRHvlmawawKFLVLBDpYb3EkuovOlGNU3DJ64Z6gX-i6Cy3A0TwT0G27PtXU77p7LIJXaqEIta1f3N48djTuIuRHXNShvVszrzyBmJEfk5SHhuh0BuQjwpfapLyng-rBrcH1Vapt-p4GC6tjg/w480-h640/BR%201.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiS7wViU3jW-mc15KosNBf3ERkPY1NSkJ04zm0IUXo8_AM9AzcSpLM3YP2l4qI_q4nRcigoXGJvRTnjjQ4yvDSt6WXq0GXHzqSNGgf1oUu_LQLtfCnA2bsj5kkJ2MW6rgF4OBbvTLlQEfA8DcU8_-1pKvOYvCNgce1omzF9kSKgPPrKes18duRfmSJw/s1086/BR%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1086" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiS7wViU3jW-mc15KosNBf3ERkPY1NSkJ04zm0IUXo8_AM9AzcSpLM3YP2l4qI_q4nRcigoXGJvRTnjjQ4yvDSt6WXq0GXHzqSNGgf1oUu_LQLtfCnA2bsj5kkJ2MW6rgF4OBbvTLlQEfA8DcU8_-1pKvOYvCNgce1omzF9kSKgPPrKes18duRfmSJw/w640-h436/BR%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>This room (below) faces the street with three big windows and still felt drab. And now the room feels so bright and big with room for a dresser and a desk. I also should add, though I lack pictures of it, that all three bedrooms were connected by doors so those door were removed and drywall was put in place of them to give actual division between bedrooms. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDA5YWRex0flTTypHhHbV0_L3lbQnaNHAUZPqyuosOihI625OzwFeI6R-NsDNb5Snl6dwNywpOhbBtaP-K_ea-Rrw6IZRa04JHsDJ6chZgA5_PVdWJWJRHpDI0AQiln6WEEW-z6CjW6_3HX-8w_qkZFkolubeZVXbLiaYCvK6p2IttFf-ENhK_UHehQw/s640/BR%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDA5YWRex0flTTypHhHbV0_L3lbQnaNHAUZPqyuosOihI625OzwFeI6R-NsDNb5Snl6dwNywpOhbBtaP-K_ea-Rrw6IZRa04JHsDJ6chZgA5_PVdWJWJRHpDI0AQiln6WEEW-z6CjW6_3HX-8w_qkZFkolubeZVXbLiaYCvK6p2IttFf-ENhK_UHehQw/w480-h640/BR%202.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj63zal3rTIdLJOMnuXXXmHW8GTdFg4AsdKJOq4wzW0c5AuBDjGG6iGWe9JWSMcZQKYNh0r25l6Oyk8_-rDErUCUmI-1fSl1ndrKKs5387np1wvTmfHx9UXlF3bB1nDooFQplSO84vnxmGEMxdJ_T-5YL8Dqoy1rdqvLZLZRx6msJVh5YUb6vjaorypg/s1125/BR%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1125" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj63zal3rTIdLJOMnuXXXmHW8GTdFg4AsdKJOq4wzW0c5AuBDjGG6iGWe9JWSMcZQKYNh0r25l6Oyk8_-rDErUCUmI-1fSl1ndrKKs5387np1wvTmfHx9UXlF3bB1nDooFQplSO84vnxmGEMxdJ_T-5YL8Dqoy1rdqvLZLZRx6msJVh5YUb6vjaorypg/w640-h418/BR%204.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Lastly, the blue bedroom, which had a couple of Tom Sellick posters on the closet door and was very... blue. We had to borrow the closet to run electrical and plumbing to the second floor so instead it now has new closets which are actually bigger than the original closet. And there's still wall space for a dresser or desk. Everyone wins. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4lrlqwN3NmtZzXV82QJyIE3Kh40ok0ID096oCq1cHq-89HfLHmLSYa1S_QFPHMd-Nn7mD0XhWHgxDsCsA_zAQStmyqYCWM00c3iZfc9HsOagZxVam5lQHoTOQQ2lrB63j-yDgv0qPiv6gPTy2HHp_d0kZmT6_vzfBXYZAJt9oc8Z61Tbagg_7I2AyQ/s640/BR%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4lrlqwN3NmtZzXV82QJyIE3Kh40ok0ID096oCq1cHq-89HfLHmLSYa1S_QFPHMd-Nn7mD0XhWHgxDsCsA_zAQStmyqYCWM00c3iZfc9HsOagZxVam5lQHoTOQQ2lrB63j-yDgv0qPiv6gPTy2HHp_d0kZmT6_vzfBXYZAJt9oc8Z61Tbagg_7I2AyQ/w480-h640/BR%203.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpwoCbNcU-13DqfzToGCtSnmgghu6HNyYD476nupMFvK-v6tVT6azX1rn-f1JRlJJ5IuD4bi3AcSkn9xWhnYoV7qdvUshOpVICwSfIQCM4Riayd0_zsOP05l9-53tfG5VwGhzoAvsAKFNcmgySY4piNo4O268qxalwv_9Fy2Lvg8zgIC8tPoOjikMyQ/s1125/BR%206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1125" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpwoCbNcU-13DqfzToGCtSnmgghu6HNyYD476nupMFvK-v6tVT6azX1rn-f1JRlJJ5IuD4bi3AcSkn9xWhnYoV7qdvUshOpVICwSfIQCM4Riayd0_zsOP05l9-53tfG5VwGhzoAvsAKFNcmgySY4piNo4O268qxalwv_9Fy2Lvg8zgIC8tPoOjikMyQ/w640-h420/BR%206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> ~ Stephanie<p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-68493559048628803232022-05-16T13:25:00.089-04:002022-05-16T13:25:00.235-04:00Stow Bungalow - Bathrooms Revealed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we purchased the Bungalow it only had one bathroom, which was on the first floor and had two doors - one of which opened into the kitchen. That's the second house in a row with a bathroom off the kitchen. What was wrong with builders back in the day? So that door had to go. To boot, the walls were covered in a particle board-type siding with metal rails connecting pieces. The tub was in great condition but the shower insert was typical fiberglass and looked cheap. So it had to go.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkkkOnIT_XK5cTCn2_yVXu2zMeTKhyUgB-paVPTYuFCYTqDgQRDlSnYkNAjCCfJ7RGdcuwqyg5F5ESAnTr9RwRmEUVFZwDADnrJph5mRo6_E-o42hURlX4WFp00te011HqoAJRRuF2Gl9JIYfeuFdQAtlkCdH6OBrnno3MgugLPMkKfiLFkwOMkUG4w/s1125/BR%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1125" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkkkOnIT_XK5cTCn2_yVXu2zMeTKhyUgB-paVPTYuFCYTqDgQRDlSnYkNAjCCfJ7RGdcuwqyg5F5ESAnTr9RwRmEUVFZwDADnrJph5mRo6_E-o42hURlX4WFp00te011HqoAJRRuF2Gl9JIYfeuFdQAtlkCdH6OBrnno3MgugLPMkKfiLFkwOMkUG4w/w640-h412/BR%204.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The floor was vinyl tiles and when torn up we discovered hardwoods underneath. The best part of this bathroom is how tall the ceiling is. I've never had to tile this high before and get nervous on ladders but it had to be done and was well worth it in the end. We didn't add any square footage and yet it feels so much bigger than before.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OfcH-NWUTGFzCcxUrVCwDvz6BmRfFAqNn1SHJcRr9jBlUxJ-aXsIQ7gqyU-ywZVbFNJzuPQWjp1KSd9KyTZuGWS2s_ZUYBElI-XzDqCsB892alGrdyUgo8Csmd4pvJFJ46zqekqMd2UTvIM31awCNKj3BQ6RzqbqAOS6yYtch4S-SEhIfCmXrhgDtQ/s1125/BR%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1125" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OfcH-NWUTGFzCcxUrVCwDvz6BmRfFAqNn1SHJcRr9jBlUxJ-aXsIQ7gqyU-ywZVbFNJzuPQWjp1KSd9KyTZuGWS2s_ZUYBElI-XzDqCsB892alGrdyUgo8Csmd4pvJFJ46zqekqMd2UTvIM31awCNKj3BQ6RzqbqAOS6yYtch4S-SEhIfCmXrhgDtQ/w640-h422/BR%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So the second floor of the bungalow was divided into two spaces - a scary storage space (which became the second floor bathroom) and the attic, which was rafters and became the primary bedroom and closet. The bathroom we did not add square footage to but we raised the ceiling. It was low, the windows were boarded up on the outside, and it was not insulated. Frankly, the room gave me the heebie jeebies if I was up there working alone.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50fyTsfZQPByoghwi5MywrKGBJz3u4_lPQ8GW_M95bqcXuVJHz1-1bW43d0LajlkF0iRiANxDiY8bLBlhC1bT7MzaKjo6vlvANwPE8RP1FSCbHZ6ko6OLUZ_Q7BUBswb5uAvGphmWSOctWIfH6LFV0eoUlzT3ig1rvjSXozZV43dt81sN6wc8YkNTSw/s640/BR%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50fyTsfZQPByoghwi5MywrKGBJz3u4_lPQ8GW_M95bqcXuVJHz1-1bW43d0LajlkF0iRiANxDiY8bLBlhC1bT7MzaKjo6vlvANwPE8RP1FSCbHZ6ko6OLUZ_Q7BUBswb5uAvGphmWSOctWIfH6LFV0eoUlzT3ig1rvjSXozZV43dt81sN6wc8YkNTSw/w480-h640/BR%205.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>When the walls were opened I asked my dad if we could keep the nook vaulted. Even just adding a little bit more height to the ceiling makes a big difference. And now that these windows aren't boarded over they let in so much light throughout the day so this bathroom is never dark. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkyKejvWt9BYCVdS-2sJUIj06qo2VqCLSYuW3cQBSHYnxeJ1_mvskhfwPZQ9gR4F-6xe43vob7ixj5gJ8tose4TAnIYz5jDcr4bw-FHbwkp9c522ct7kv6fwhHVqJymZ2qHzSwRgW3Skmvc9Vl_Mo6OjIU1yns0Md_EG_31tJ9ZNxdZD-VOx74Ule3A/s640/BR%206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkyKejvWt9BYCVdS-2sJUIj06qo2VqCLSYuW3cQBSHYnxeJ1_mvskhfwPZQ9gR4F-6xe43vob7ixj5gJ8tose4TAnIYz5jDcr4bw-FHbwkp9c522ct7kv6fwhHVqJymZ2qHzSwRgW3Skmvc9Vl_Mo6OjIU1yns0Md_EG_31tJ9ZNxdZD-VOx74Ule3A/w480-h640/BR%206.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHVzt_FUq-rBXS0kWBVjp1SyzX-0GQyX3bvZWKDlo4jnsL9ump6CqPCR_qpDjRdgZYyuftaY8EQOdLb6tKJhN9ycOChMQkAVrAXvvNBNagi84IEnU1v_Izv373kJyZx6ySkjnPlyBOuZbwOCVI2vwJJAhEbhDsiS4K2zqaONUzHcOGDktuE9NNHwDyQ/s1125/BR%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1125" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHVzt_FUq-rBXS0kWBVjp1SyzX-0GQyX3bvZWKDlo4jnsL9ump6CqPCR_qpDjRdgZYyuftaY8EQOdLb6tKJhN9ycOChMQkAVrAXvvNBNagi84IEnU1v_Izv373kJyZx6ySkjnPlyBOuZbwOCVI2vwJJAhEbhDsiS4K2zqaONUzHcOGDktuE9NNHwDyQ/w640-h420/BR%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I chose a dramatic marble-like porcelain for the shower and because of that I wanted a simple floor tile that would make the space feel warm and bright in contrast. I fell in love with this sand-colored floor tile while perusing the store and would happily use it again. It made such a difference in this room and matched the wall colors perfectly. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCt6SLld097nDTqQkAEfCABRUmILpc5yRDWM1ZzOLTKsDGpLdgh66i23GK2tEFO1F8g5b8M3oyRCp5gHvXwb8PTA8gsYVNwwudQ05jT6hhwJ6Rxz-QNDFdzK3ClOlg70WAJamd09VYWmblBpp5L7Zv1DRDXsc6ykxLD6eAgoXNnRjPoMv_qH0hmt6VQ/s640/BR%209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCt6SLld097nDTqQkAEfCABRUmILpc5yRDWM1ZzOLTKsDGpLdgh66i23GK2tEFO1F8g5b8M3oyRCp5gHvXwb8PTA8gsYVNwwudQ05jT6hhwJ6Rxz-QNDFdzK3ClOlg70WAJamd09VYWmblBpp5L7Zv1DRDXsc6ykxLD6eAgoXNnRjPoMv_qH0hmt6VQ/w480-h640/BR%209.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The door to the second floor opened into what is now the shower. My father moved the door to the other side of the landing so you now enter the second floor in the primary bedroom. This is the second house in a row that I've chosen to work with large format tiles and while it's a real pain (putting it mildly) to work with, especially in this shower which I tiled by myself, in the end, I think all the swearing and verge-of-tears and frustration was worth it to end up with a final result like this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXhsqDjmmdcQjAsx8De4fWtG_tlMAcULQ76Dm_cUFkkbWbyMcNwXaYHtKQqcGSxNHasgZaZgWD6ukKEkmMF_E5npIploJjfjyckMq5MpSTaH-CV4Ra2zfM5i_UQgBY7uuSHbshur4PFqsYAplt5vjlAb8CtMDfTb-WI-HBAsvEKN2btJiX1_4ATtPFg/s640/BR%208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXhsqDjmmdcQjAsx8De4fWtG_tlMAcULQ76Dm_cUFkkbWbyMcNwXaYHtKQqcGSxNHasgZaZgWD6ukKEkmMF_E5npIploJjfjyckMq5MpSTaH-CV4Ra2zfM5i_UQgBY7uuSHbshur4PFqsYAplt5vjlAb8CtMDfTb-WI-HBAsvEKN2btJiX1_4ATtPFg/w480-h640/BR%208.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>~ Stephanie<br /> <p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-29338724704941511492022-05-15T08:00:00.001-04:002022-05-15T08:00:00.194-04:00Stow Bungalow - Living Room Reveal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In my home, the living room is the room that gets the most usage. If that's true for you as well, you probably spent the most time picking out the furniture, the rug, the throw pillows, arranging everything to maximize seating and comfort. The living room in the Bungalow, when we purchased it was... I don't even know how to describe it... odd? A particleboard partition wall had been erected to create an office with a closet cutting the living room down by a third. There was nothing particularly inviting about the space. And let me tell you, as I was the one who tore up that carpet, it was DIRTY. And beneath it were gorgeous hardwood floors!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2d9dNqhGy7D6fnJjj-w93R6nspKPjvcwX1TyT8y9P_l58vJwMeD5hbAFBmF5T_CkI-fBSEsjU-bMeA2Vzm45_jy0R9PBiPsQcAh80Eey5y8wwO_Ev3WN2E2Wmxk4FGeYe2xwbAPzC4CVPz-OYbtjJvVBX5OX0SAtQVNxiMM3qliutVV-AIGIZJwraQ/s1125/LR%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1125" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2d9dNqhGy7D6fnJjj-w93R6nspKPjvcwX1TyT8y9P_l58vJwMeD5hbAFBmF5T_CkI-fBSEsjU-bMeA2Vzm45_jy0R9PBiPsQcAh80Eey5y8wwO_Ev3WN2E2Wmxk4FGeYe2xwbAPzC4CVPz-OYbtjJvVBX5OX0SAtQVNxiMM3qliutVV-AIGIZJwraQ/w640-h424/LR%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>So immediately the partition wall had to come down. It wasn't even to the ceiling! Then the carpet came up and we quickly realized that as big as the space was, there was nothing particularly special about it. So, my dad created a coffered ceiling to add some character and I think it feels like it should have been there all along.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EAQgPSB2TZmPj6vxSowyssNKSUZHtg2NMMGlZBUKbIyOzf1blASNjkPF-4-JjL2EpHsFNqOGwElzu7kaG37t2LnDLgTaMfDNnjI2GfSvVxwhSM1-0LjRECMQMRygDGcPhlBD0ggZN5vdTvw0WPlafjOWnJFLacIkFQAfztuxgOAT6E24UwtmG2AKvA/s1118/LR%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1118" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EAQgPSB2TZmPj6vxSowyssNKSUZHtg2NMMGlZBUKbIyOzf1blASNjkPF-4-JjL2EpHsFNqOGwElzu7kaG37t2LnDLgTaMfDNnjI2GfSvVxwhSM1-0LjRECMQMRygDGcPhlBD0ggZN5vdTvw0WPlafjOWnJFLacIkFQAfztuxgOAT6E24UwtmG2AKvA/w640-h424/LR%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />There is so much that can be done with this space to entertain guests or just create the coziest living room with bookshelves and a sectional, etc. But at least how I staged it gives you an idea of what can be done. And anything is better than how it was five months ago. At the bare minimum there's no longer a carpet harboring 50+ years of detritus within its fibers.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5x2CJn02Mhe1wrCOmyIrY7s0mNlEtI4_ZfEljSJ9aTF5mqLrWhvB4jchDv6p8LTDlhmt9fk5SAp8fVC6BpsuVuf1lNcI32QdP1CLFzpNFZkYeOGOSUtQG001y2yWdTMLppKBUSRodh-Mur66OXflbY19Grg4h3GoLINamPQ0jjLUz-KYFLZ7_ABVCg/s1125/LR%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1125" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5x2CJn02Mhe1wrCOmyIrY7s0mNlEtI4_ZfEljSJ9aTF5mqLrWhvB4jchDv6p8LTDlhmt9fk5SAp8fVC6BpsuVuf1lNcI32QdP1CLFzpNFZkYeOGOSUtQG001y2yWdTMLppKBUSRodh-Mur66OXflbY19Grg4h3GoLINamPQ0jjLUz-KYFLZ7_ABVCg/w640-h412/LR%203.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div><div>~ Stephanie</div>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-36414069560823343682022-05-13T08:37:00.006-04:002022-05-13T15:20:55.576-04:00Stow Bungalow - Kitchen Reveal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh kitchens with carpet, how I despise thee. The second house in a row with carpeted kitchen floors! What were people thinking 50 years ago? Is it just the germaphobe in me? The kitchen wasn't necessarily bad, but it definitely was outdated. It also hurts my design sensibility when cabinets block things - views, doors, etc. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE6t8XzZK8dSb_ILDJ7Q1b0jjzb64B1r31yedLf2qSHlJay8xRUN7EDe4Z6R4PNbiU4BeQwgjTev1E3oJuvq5iyPBY28RbGi2eLj_-ayUsRIIBddYQBhnTx59pxcLd8PRZUr-X-AOCCVCgE33ajZs28ITfj_WQHd6PM6h5fdPe3j2b_AQQfNsGZRf4w/s1125/Kitchen%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1125" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE6t8XzZK8dSb_ILDJ7Q1b0jjzb64B1r31yedLf2qSHlJay8xRUN7EDe4Z6R4PNbiU4BeQwgjTev1E3oJuvq5iyPBY28RbGi2eLj_-ayUsRIIBddYQBhnTx59pxcLd8PRZUr-X-AOCCVCgE33ajZs28ITfj_WQHd6PM6h5fdPe3j2b_AQQfNsGZRf4w/w640-h416/Kitchen%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>So. The carpet was hiding original hardwoods, which we had sanded and restained. The carboard-esque ceiling tiles were holding up a LOT of mouse poop and skeletons and also no insulation. And then there was faux wood paneling and vinyl-patterned pieces above that needed to come out, be insulated, and drywalled. But let's talk about the cabinets. This was a small kitchen, or at least the layout made it feel small. But the space in its entirety isn't tiny. It just needed rearranging and also a new pass-through to the dining room. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqr0YvEWCJhY8cInjamit5yaeFvmscRHXV-UwbTekZOgUzVbZZ3slJpjWRVD1uRZFTZgFXBrxvQ2OHsOM6kQ3RFPoacFAA23s4PFBxKHoM8X7YZcmrMVTssqjD8CXwW39QHM0x2r2zG_6-Wa2zQnZy7Tso46Hi9lP-1ibJzz-B4x-tJxS1xNb7tpPJg/s1125/Kitchen%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1125" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqr0YvEWCJhY8cInjamit5yaeFvmscRHXV-UwbTekZOgUzVbZZ3slJpjWRVD1uRZFTZgFXBrxvQ2OHsOM6kQ3RFPoacFAA23s4PFBxKHoM8X7YZcmrMVTssqjD8CXwW39QHM0x2r2zG_6-Wa2zQnZy7Tso46Hi9lP-1ibJzz-B4x-tJxS1xNb7tpPJg/w640-h424/Kitchen%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Along the back wall (below) we added a second window to balance the sight lines out to the pond in the back yard. Already there was so much light coming in throughout the day but why not add a little bit more. When we discussed what to do about the ceiling after tearing out the cardboard tiles I suggested beadboard. We had done that in the sunroom of the 1850s Homestead and I'd been obsessed with how it turned out, so why not do that again. Also, since we were planning to do white cabinets I thought it would be nice to have something to balance white cabinets, white walls, etc. I love a white, clean room, but if everything is white it can feel very cold and sterile. Installing the beadboard ceiling took my father and I two days and hurt my neck for a couple days, but was well worth it for the end result.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdUu67_0xrRPDuhMP4ysQtcyX8s1fDTBd7-zp0ZHTXDzfSpg-E_-dq4wi0VPLZZVtcLnsvIZQyEJya1of_WpkI5WOhtYnS-MvhvJRJzB8BMsrmPS9A3VA9Fj0vDWuobYuC1R9tZF1WTLbF5yvVdWaMPuUTSFo66Zx8VezMz3wwnZVGsnwBsrmCS-HPQ/s1125/Kitchen%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1125" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdUu67_0xrRPDuhMP4ysQtcyX8s1fDTBd7-zp0ZHTXDzfSpg-E_-dq4wi0VPLZZVtcLnsvIZQyEJya1of_WpkI5WOhtYnS-MvhvJRJzB8BMsrmPS9A3VA9Fj0vDWuobYuC1R9tZF1WTLbF5yvVdWaMPuUTSFo66Zx8VezMz3wwnZVGsnwBsrmCS-HPQ/w640-h422/Kitchen%203.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Let's talk about the back wall. The original owner had a table and chairs there. Technically there's still space for that, but as a former dancer, I love a kitchen with enough room to do fouettes. I liked the idea of having cabinets different from the rest of the kitchen, something that stood alone but still fit into the overall look of the house. So painting them to match the fireplace, stairs, and hutch doors was a no-brainer. Admittedly, I have never liked waterfall countertops. To me it feels like a waste of granite/quartz/marble to put them on the sides. But what about waterfall butcher block? Now that I can get onboard with. And then, as one of my girlfriends put it, "a signature Stephanie Blackburn" - open shelves. I love a display wall, what can I say?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwuakpSFcQw7dGV-1CQOnnzPN7cAKE99gGxNz_JLfb14L9byl39Utd_6oHXRf8eLHLn-x_rErsPaFZcZALWm1bTfbRt8MkTMQrt7UFLmIrbqDWbgACc1qj9KDxg88FY4nbUfltfkwrVbLtmNJDmA7_L-2qydyC173UFh98Y17zQyDIvVL4gZWx2Mczg/s1125/Kitchen%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1125" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwuakpSFcQw7dGV-1CQOnnzPN7cAKE99gGxNz_JLfb14L9byl39Utd_6oHXRf8eLHLn-x_rErsPaFZcZALWm1bTfbRt8MkTMQrt7UFLmIrbqDWbgACc1qj9KDxg88FY4nbUfltfkwrVbLtmNJDmA7_L-2qydyC173UFh98Y17zQyDIvVL4gZWx2Mczg/w640-h404/Kitchen%204.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I suppose another Blackburn signature is the marble we repeatedly use for kitchen backsplashes. There are so many options for tile now, but we continually use this one because it goes classically with every countertop and unlike certain patterned tile, it won't look dated in a year or ten. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTutxnMvT9gQHHERsotv_-CVadNr46LbBbPAYIYq27S0eeiTE87LGwvAc3sTauiqyXzTfnz0FQrlKSPBGkqv57BUsm5UO64LcH1AoeduBr0sHejOeMPk6Epln2By7AFEd9FGpNTb4uHsSZZkgrmvqyrSNRorUGe3AxoQQRvUIspBKdKjXF5y7x5JEoQ/s1125/Kitchen%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1125" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTutxnMvT9gQHHERsotv_-CVadNr46LbBbPAYIYq27S0eeiTE87LGwvAc3sTauiqyXzTfnz0FQrlKSPBGkqv57BUsm5UO64LcH1AoeduBr0sHejOeMPk6Epln2By7AFEd9FGpNTb4uHsSZZkgrmvqyrSNRorUGe3AxoQQRvUIspBKdKjXF5y7x5JEoQ/w640-h406/Kitchen%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I would also be remiss not to mention that during demo I uncovered a boarded up pass-through from the built-in hutch in the dining room to the kitchen counter. I don't know that the buyers will ever use it, but as it was original to the house I felt it should be restored (plus, it's cute). There wasn't trim on the kitchen side of it so my father cut new trim and stained it to match the original pieces on the interior of the hutch.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgba0YtqIu-I8ZLi6e9sX9m1gCnHyxj6WwUoId3QpV1SJD1kZ9RpD2a86iou-RUJP53l93b_rwLL1YkvjldErAaTPnbwpwaYiTpogC-PHOpFrPBYALISCI4xo0o16-W44n6Iln1kCWIOBDtUTfx16jrw5AOWjR8amoUMYekh16HmOHnPpTgMxBaXzRcNQ/s1125/Kitchen%206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1125" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgba0YtqIu-I8ZLi6e9sX9m1gCnHyxj6WwUoId3QpV1SJD1kZ9RpD2a86iou-RUJP53l93b_rwLL1YkvjldErAaTPnbwpwaYiTpogC-PHOpFrPBYALISCI4xo0o16-W44n6Iln1kCWIOBDtUTfx16jrw5AOWjR8amoUMYekh16HmOHnPpTgMxBaXzRcNQ/w640-h420/Kitchen%206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> I really hope buyers will appreciate the transition this kitchen has made and cook many a delicious meal here (at least on my behalf). <p></p><p>~ Stephanie</p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-68035852327827566002022-05-12T08:34:00.002-04:002022-05-13T15:26:10.871-04:00Welcome to the Stow Bungalow - Dining Room Reveal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I realized only recently that this is the 9th house my father and I have renovated together. I kind of cannot believe it. Thinking back on each house, our design has certainly evolved through each project though I guess there are some "signature moves", like my father using cedar as trim for showers/tubs and my need for open shelving. Beyond that, I think we've found our sweet spot for design. A broker walked through the house with me yesterday and called our aesthetic "farmhouse Scandinavian" and I thought, huh, that is what I like. So as with every house, this one, our current renovation, is my favorite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIrxdH79k6hrwQBiwAVGRYbDy5qjMo4-xbXD6WU1unadFVmEVEJKYgo8grNXN0Vl7Gg5zPmywhsXY8M8UIdNrdBqpgZXChgjf6WauGV25115oU-gjdiFKKlIyua_tLQCgQCLbLCNYriW-E-4lN4L3AsWQw0H25qv54Sa7uBjKcjZHgcadbRgvwaXcrA/s1125/Dining%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1125" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIrxdH79k6hrwQBiwAVGRYbDy5qjMo4-xbXD6WU1unadFVmEVEJKYgo8grNXN0Vl7Gg5zPmywhsXY8M8UIdNrdBqpgZXChgjf6WauGV25115oU-gjdiFKKlIyua_tLQCgQCLbLCNYriW-E-4lN4L3AsWQw0H25qv54Sa7uBjKcjZHgcadbRgvwaXcrA/w640-h418/Dining%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So let's start the before-and-afters in the heart of the house - the dining room. Some history about this house, as learned from a lovely neighbor, is that the houses on either side of the Stow Bungalow were all built by the original owner. He built one for himself, then one for the kids (ours), then one for the staff. While all generally similar, they gradually get smaller in size. But I have to be honest with you, ours is the perfect size. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqOmu4lxVAuDkPXGz4rhQb-iAQB9mOLIszOhZFRSPUYMz9FtxqMtxiga7WNcnP9Y5PxTBO-x6QNu9M4xgrmlBJQ7OJOxjlR1Hcum_XfUis-N_k4fj7fzfb5D6N0_79giF63T-9A2IQQbQWhHNSyKZKtlmL7XfTf0cv7KSB8xmEOJWGFI8PgLvGd-e1g/s1125/Dining%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1125" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqOmu4lxVAuDkPXGz4rhQb-iAQB9mOLIszOhZFRSPUYMz9FtxqMtxiga7WNcnP9Y5PxTBO-x6QNu9M4xgrmlBJQ7OJOxjlR1Hcum_XfUis-N_k4fj7fzfb5D6N0_79giF63T-9A2IQQbQWhHNSyKZKtlmL7XfTf0cv7KSB8xmEOJWGFI8PgLvGd-e1g/w640-h422/Dining%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The woman who had owned ours was moved by her son to a nursing home. I'm assuming the house was left as is because it felt a bit frozen in time. The basement (which I do not have a before photo of - why does this always happen that I neglect the photo-taking on the front end?) felt straight out of the 60s - faux wood wall paneling, furniture that might have been in my grandparents' home years ago. In one bedroom there were posters of Tom Selleck straight out of the Magnum P.I. era. I mean there was a rotary phone in the kitchen! The mint green walls and the shag carpet that has been trampled flat from age sold me on this house. That and the fact there was knob and tube wiring which has now helped us twice (previously the 1850s homestead) beat out other offers. But also, I love me a beautiful banister. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8obvA4nsKdq1K4Mq12nwfXHR5v46s85yaod1OOybyK6wH7h6uUR_ImwvMVKF4C3pKSPauUNF3jSOv0yH6bkmC8qi4eR8KdiLZ6wlp96sFhyRrJD6Vtz55ZvRSRWyL0LJaUiFjMrxjy-guWOEkeX5pnWGI6IY-MOz6vFpeqEZqQsreSLx7wWoJF1tXQ/s1121/Dining%207.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1121" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8obvA4nsKdq1K4Mq12nwfXHR5v46s85yaod1OOybyK6wH7h6uUR_ImwvMVKF4C3pKSPauUNF3jSOv0yH6bkmC8qi4eR8KdiLZ6wlp96sFhyRrJD6Vtz55ZvRSRWyL0LJaUiFjMrxjy-guWOEkeX5pnWGI6IY-MOz6vFpeqEZqQsreSLx7wWoJF1tXQ/w640-h418/Dining%207.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For weeks I was saying I wanted to paint the stairs - the spindles, the banister, the treads, everything. But then right before the floor guys were scheduled to start I realized that between the hutch, the fireplace, and the bannister, that would be plenty of Benjamin Moore's Narraganset Green paint. If I painted the entire staircase as well it may be much too much. So I reeled it back in and stuck to only painting the spindles and banister. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRzoHB7ouvMePIu1eVcIojmJGSb2S7GWQKw_53Xb0frbh06vkp6MpdtJuOkJKe_65oKfrsept-kyvN2uRwcC-EBIrHeZHZwaF83UNKsk5LsHhXw9f26uKEKWOTcI9q7LjKNNHoWux5MOpq9reSO6thx0clbYPbrng3riMa0HWX650y_kkcKXTnUhHEQ/s1122/Dining%206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1122" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRzoHB7ouvMePIu1eVcIojmJGSb2S7GWQKw_53Xb0frbh06vkp6MpdtJuOkJKe_65oKfrsept-kyvN2uRwcC-EBIrHeZHZwaF83UNKsk5LsHhXw9f26uKEKWOTcI9q7LjKNNHoWux5MOpq9reSO6thx0clbYPbrng3riMa0HWX650y_kkcKXTnUhHEQ/w640-h421/Dining%206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our initial walk-through I obsessed over the listing images (that's standard fare for us) and knew that a doorway would need to be put in on the other side of the fireplace to balance the room. Because while this room was being used as the living room I wanted it to be the dining room. And making it easy to carry serving dishes from the kitchen to the dining table was paramount. Also paramount, was turning the fireplace from an eyesore into a centerpiece. The paint color absolutely helped. I tried out two other colors before realizing this was the one and once I did I used it on the hutch doors, the stairs, and the cabinets along the far wall of the kitchen. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17dNmgvR4I1jAQaPe3o1uht8v0E17acIMudCvn6T3cBpfc4v_2gMxtT55eb0tI1ZsF7MkiIdJmx5nKadq4JzXFj6Fm1gqxVfttlt7kqxPZmVN9V4VPiIP7k-P7IcOVrriNTMogu9hLKHyfmkpD6ja9jtmy5XotdkabqLPUJYpuGWmDhqhOmb73VVwgw/s1125/Dining%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1125" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17dNmgvR4I1jAQaPe3o1uht8v0E17acIMudCvn6T3cBpfc4v_2gMxtT55eb0tI1ZsF7MkiIdJmx5nKadq4JzXFj6Fm1gqxVfttlt7kqxPZmVN9V4VPiIP7k-P7IcOVrriNTMogu9hLKHyfmkpD6ja9jtmy5XotdkabqLPUJYpuGWmDhqhOmb73VVwgw/w640-h414/Dining%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I realize my dining table doesn't do it justice because this room is big and a much bigger table could certainly fit with ample room to move around it. Again, another home we've created that I do not get to host a family gathering in. I wish buyers would send me pictures around the holidays so I could see how they fill up the space with family and food. I did, for the first time on this house, bring my girlfriends to have a meal (takeout) at the dining table while giving them the grand reveal of the renovation. So it feels a little like I got the host a thing there and I guess that's enough.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-pedy5JTiBH1GdveLKohjLkm9n6NznYSAb6p6AUu3Rjgaqr7p0e8WDHeOLSP6H3VIbOyvraRrGMg1-4uUaDZkbB6ZcwNpFRaT00NG2-UVcXwQMXOeZOAsrLpAY1qn8impliWmwxGYEQrXPqm0BfcF4bX6fr70Q1mTXeKTL34FHpi-hk2aS7BnrGzcA/s1125/Dining%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1125" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-pedy5JTiBH1GdveLKohjLkm9n6NznYSAb6p6AUu3Rjgaqr7p0e8WDHeOLSP6H3VIbOyvraRrGMg1-4uUaDZkbB6ZcwNpFRaT00NG2-UVcXwQMXOeZOAsrLpAY1qn8impliWmwxGYEQrXPqm0BfcF4bX6fr70Q1mTXeKTL34FHpi-hk2aS7BnrGzcA/w640-h414/Dining%204.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~ Stephanie</div></div> <p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-39424681696307315722021-06-07T12:19:00.001-04:002021-06-07T12:19:10.923-04:00Race to the Finish<p> We're just trying to get everything done in time for photos this Thursday and it feels like when one item gets checked off the list another one pops up. Did I decide we needed to hang two of the original doors that were growing dust in the basement on the wall of the barn room, therefore adding a half hour's work in an already busy day? I mean yes, but I maintain it was necessary to the overall character and design of the home. </p><p>We're getting there. We will get there. We may just be puddles of sweat by the time we get there. </p><p>In the meantime, I continue to love the sun room more than a person intending to sell a property probably should. But I mean the sunlight...</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc35LVTWcAsG0E0gUQB2SlVPlBCL7Kf6espBcCFKdUsq4gFw5EmEl2GS1kscrP9qWBSeeiqKNUO55huPchPMsO-bdSquh9CKAUGj5s1XCTz459H14g4uiH8gLQCWAvk4L9jdXPRwyL9LIE/s640/EEF9595B-2BA7-4B24-B55E-B3945F66A151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc35LVTWcAsG0E0gUQB2SlVPlBCL7Kf6espBcCFKdUsq4gFw5EmEl2GS1kscrP9qWBSeeiqKNUO55huPchPMsO-bdSquh9CKAUGj5s1XCTz459H14g4uiH8gLQCWAvk4L9jdXPRwyL9LIE/w512-h640/EEF9595B-2BA7-4B24-B55E-B3945F66A151.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>~ Stephanie</p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-40892934774077826202021-05-11T11:03:00.005-04:002021-05-11T11:05:14.703-04:00Just A Few More Weeks<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you watched my Instagram stories over the weekend you saw I am easily distracted, especially when it comes to the sun room. I grew up in a house with a room we called the greenhouse, which is two stories of windows and gets so sunny and warm that you just want to curl up and snooze. The sun room has that same feel - three walls of windows, great light all day, and now with a new ceiling, new shiplap, and hopefully soon newly sanded and stained floors, it's the perfect room for a Sunday snooze. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OfEeYyBb1IO1V4sTB5oNKzp2ppip7GkqV45ljv8rbDGuhxVnMXLjM6anyMjIOIfrAH4GKaC146MPfzRjHbEGqv_-eTYPYhCgbbAkSfHcNFqv3v7xkLal72fpGOtm4MlkhKxTb8mh3Jcf/s640/IMG_5452.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OfEeYyBb1IO1V4sTB5oNKzp2ppip7GkqV45ljv8rbDGuhxVnMXLjM6anyMjIOIfrAH4GKaC146MPfzRjHbEGqv_-eTYPYhCgbbAkSfHcNFqv3v7xkLal72fpGOtm4MlkhKxTb8mh3Jcf/w480-h640/IMG_5452.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you watched my stories then you also saw the unconventional renovation of the first floor bath. We used to get port-a-potties to use while renovating but we stopped doing that a couple houses ago and it means that one bathroom always needs to be available and therefore, I left the toilet in the first floor bathroom (for now) and tiled around it. I love this tile so much. This bathroom is going to be the bathroom all the guests use and therefore needs to hide dirt temporarily until they go back to their own homes and you can clean. So a matte tile with slight pattern is perfect. And since the shower tile is so dramatic it needed to be unremarkable so as to not pull the eye away. I can't wait until it's all grouted and the new toilet is in and the vanity is installed because I think this bathroom is going to be gorgeous. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXizQwSPueUjVBKd6F4BERE6egZAafjajH_zB_8ZfAEXeOK5Zz3kyW5a0MJ9UXczcaCbQhQdVj4OjFmxnsg3J3k_Y36-BgWLfnFZ6UBjXxp9EEHb9LSiFZtNxgBdGr3xmfxSXgZjYQRK93/s640/IMG_5458.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXizQwSPueUjVBKd6F4BERE6egZAafjajH_zB_8ZfAEXeOK5Zz3kyW5a0MJ9UXczcaCbQhQdVj4OjFmxnsg3J3k_Y36-BgWLfnFZ6UBjXxp9EEHb9LSiFZtNxgBdGr3xmfxSXgZjYQRK93/w480-h640/IMG_5458.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p>~ S<br /> <p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-73922534919577846902021-05-03T08:57:00.004-04:002021-05-03T08:57:36.337-04:00Floor Tile<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back in February when we did our initial planning of tile, I found this tile on display at the store. It was more intricate and expensive than any tile I'd worked with before but I knew we needed it for the upstairs bathroom floor. But then when we came back to purchase the big wall tiles it was gone, not on display or in stock. So I started looking for second best tile options, not loving any of them. But then, by some miracle, when we went in yesterday to make a decision it was magically back in stock!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oFVH8d7wTpuUHsPkTcMluhOIpgsX5y1H8aurIEWivT2wjA3uVcpV_kUhUChSXmMI3W7QPkUrKMujR_JfVf2YHa00L71GDWo6LIyAPOCR25Yj6q4MH6o3Eh0d0o9eQYk8XjjF1YGBfBi-/s640/IMG_5423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oFVH8d7wTpuUHsPkTcMluhOIpgsX5y1H8aurIEWivT2wjA3uVcpV_kUhUChSXmMI3W7QPkUrKMujR_JfVf2YHa00L71GDWo6LIyAPOCR25Yj6q4MH6o3Eh0d0o9eQYk8XjjF1YGBfBi-/w480-h640/IMG_5423.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we got back to the house and my dad explained how I'd have to cut pieces and I realized it would be more intricate than previous tile jobs, I started to question my decision. But now, I'm obsessed. There's still a bunch of pieces that need cutting but those that have been laid down look so good. And the reason I wanted this tile so much is that unlike a lot of mosaic/patterned tile, I don't think this will look outdated in ten years. It'll still be classic and current. I can't wait to grout it (said no one ever) and see how it looks completed.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiql0rVPVLke6oaSEXW4byuU6-ZqM-VyTwAt5XyUwuwwhpJtl1odfDw85erXU-xaV58AbF1exFfGMBWq0pl2WrfiPpyj9lk7AF2U9G7sRX5gh0XVDNdmi2YVoFXtT44-EZDKwPuC7dF1WSK/s640/IMG_5426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiql0rVPVLke6oaSEXW4byuU6-ZqM-VyTwAt5XyUwuwwhpJtl1odfDw85erXU-xaV58AbF1exFfGMBWq0pl2WrfiPpyj9lk7AF2U9G7sRX5gh0XVDNdmi2YVoFXtT44-EZDKwPuC7dF1WSK/w480-h640/IMG_5426.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />This house is going to be so hard to part with.<p></p><p>~ Stephanie</p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-89574860755524901272021-04-30T11:53:00.003-04:002021-04-30T11:53:45.367-04:00Lighting Is In!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd just like to start off this post by thanking everyone who made the vaccine possible - scientists, early test subjects, Dolly Parton. I got my first shot over the weekend and couldn't be more excited to get the second dose. My father, meanwhile, got the second dose and being the "I'll just push through" kind of guy that he is, continued to work on the house even with fever and exhaustion. Guys, listen to your body and rest when it tells you it's tired. Things can wait.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDsEd6rhoksThSSQNEXnoLRPRhl_0cpW2bsad6arameDF1-4Ng8urXyzmiBmBD9Xy8yWTRoft74z-PDK2qx0Vz75-ZU9wwDPlrcf9RJr9LMtc7dX7_IlyjSHRkv7UhgIY-VUUPKz-4CN6/s320/IMG_5389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="233" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDsEd6rhoksThSSQNEXnoLRPRhl_0cpW2bsad6arameDF1-4Ng8urXyzmiBmBD9Xy8yWTRoft74z-PDK2qx0Vz75-ZU9wwDPlrcf9RJr9LMtc7dX7_IlyjSHRkv7UhgIY-VUUPKz-4CN6/w291-h400/IMG_5389.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On to updates. We finally have lights up in the house! I wish I had ordered more of these lights than I did because the week after they arrived they sold out and were discontinued in the gold trim and we could have used more or maybe I would have saved them for another project. Anywho, they are in the kitchen, the sun room, the hallway, the walk-through pantry, and the front parlor and they look fantastic. Classic, clean lines with a modern feel. We are keeping the original front hall light because it's beautiful and old and balances out these modern lights and in the dining room there is a rustic chandelier to also remind the future owners about the house's history. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1Qc1IZ_yIIp_Im7XEMpJMjr6dkXGUfJ0bk5yAuT0ebtHI4tM4LBDwvIVQapJhlw_wkQGp3eRgPQXUG2eEdvw6zc_SHoQISUoCnlG0BVibpofl5MuRGbj78oqWLZKx9N6XlDxYfarqNd3/s320/IMG_5398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1Qc1IZ_yIIp_Im7XEMpJMjr6dkXGUfJ0bk5yAuT0ebtHI4tM4LBDwvIVQapJhlw_wkQGp3eRgPQXUG2eEdvw6zc_SHoQISUoCnlG0BVibpofl5MuRGbj78oqWLZKx9N6XlDxYfarqNd3/w300-h400/IMG_5398.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then in the bathrooms, both walk-in showers are tiled and the soaking tub is nearly there. I ended up picking a simple white tile to use as an accent in the first floor shower and the upstairs tub. I didn't want to pull the eye away from the gorgeous movement in the grey tiles, but we needed something to fill the space. Ripping another grey tile wouldn't have looked right.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVCqAOsijPOhB42Vy2qJZaKUsZICmJXQW1lKZQ17-fE0-jKnq4VGAVgoXnN9T6BZLoH9OHWpznlk3o2PJRoTbvKOaEG33S_W-UzNMnbJmcudV0UsR1rZioh2P-NQ91XZb4_rCMvykd4rA/s320/IMG_5399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVCqAOsijPOhB42Vy2qJZaKUsZICmJXQW1lKZQ17-fE0-jKnq4VGAVgoXnN9T6BZLoH9OHWpznlk3o2PJRoTbvKOaEG33S_W-UzNMnbJmcudV0UsR1rZioh2P-NQ91XZb4_rCMvykd4rA/w300-h400/IMG_5399.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /> So here we are, hopefully 3 weeks away from being finished. Lots of grouting ahead (uuuugh). <p></p><p>~ S</p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-15070328237403032212021-04-19T11:05:00.001-04:002021-04-19T11:05:03.891-04:00Learning About Tile<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The weekend we were originally supposed to close on the 1850 Homestead there was an issue on the seller's end and we weren't able to close until the following Monday. So that weekend, instead of being able to start demo, my father and I went looking for tile inspiration. What we found was this gorgeous 48x48 porcelain tile. That was it, we had found it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV0amb6aHFdaiQCEeMHI1x-g1d7Ku11Jm58jmrmWMaBCqQyijGb3NTPS81xAgdzephe8rVqkVf89zyqMc57Kvx9tDw-BBZl2k2_4KA_E7UoNGXHLGuw09bBn_KmTqEr-5uKgvqe20wPdJ/s640/IMG_4983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV0amb6aHFdaiQCEeMHI1x-g1d7Ku11Jm58jmrmWMaBCqQyijGb3NTPS81xAgdzephe8rVqkVf89zyqMc57Kvx9tDw-BBZl2k2_4KA_E7UoNGXHLGuw09bBn_KmTqEr-5uKgvqe20wPdJ/w480-h640/IMG_4983.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But then this past weekend when it was finally time to purchase all the tile, we discussed the logistics of working with tile this size we ultimately decided it would be easier to use something even a tiny bit smaller. So here we have the tile we ended up going with, which is 24x48. And yet it still took both of us working together to lay each piece. </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu_wvcC3uSRTdwvvs2EoLEDdJdjvekkZJ-ntpbrqKS4y7H77dg4Y8I1YQIvP8dSH_yikP0ZIYwqg_ePZOExhvY5pmzN_Ohwa0evT3VwY9pbHTClZpqJ5TJ61M1iZPer8-SqKDd__on9Os/s640/IMG_5347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLu_wvcC3uSRTdwvvs2EoLEDdJdjvekkZJ-ntpbrqKS4y7H77dg4Y8I1YQIvP8dSH_yikP0ZIYwqg_ePZOExhvY5pmzN_Ohwa0evT3VwY9pbHTClZpqJ5TJ61M1iZPer8-SqKDd__on9Os/w480-h640/IMG_5347.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So we didn't get as far as I'd hoped over the weekend, but at least one of the showers is nearly finished as well as a third of the soaking tub. So we're on our way, albeit slowly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-caEPsxZqT874kwkmFELtbZlsNhcaMlm1poPiL14FChRYimQ_E0HZ_bq5fuQ7ofvYvryXcsY73hKKOrdR4e1zcfLCtBLdHUOXr6SiZWRvtMe6dUdVPW-6H3b6FMDSluumvcgo-DUY90U/s2000/2EC1F5B4-814A-4927-832B-7882D15D41A3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-caEPsxZqT874kwkmFELtbZlsNhcaMlm1poPiL14FChRYimQ_E0HZ_bq5fuQ7ofvYvryXcsY73hKKOrdR4e1zcfLCtBLdHUOXr6SiZWRvtMe6dUdVPW-6H3b6FMDSluumvcgo-DUY90U/w360-h640/2EC1F5B4-814A-4927-832B-7882D15D41A3.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>~ S<p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-52110839953934782962021-04-15T09:03:00.002-04:002021-04-15T09:03:14.274-04:00The Sunroom Progress<p> We hope to be ready to list the 1850s Homestead in 4 weeks. Whether we are able to stick to that or are forced to push the list date further out we shall see. But I'm hopeful that a month from now I'll be staging the home.</p><p>Yesterday, while my father worked to complete the sunroom (below), I was up on the second floor in two of the bedrooms removing the baseboard and trim so that our electrician can get in and remove the knob and tube wiring and replace it with new wiring that's up to code.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78hcmS5-3OyTWce0dxcVqbJEXeZ3aC8W3Fzm3xTw-SN7eMb68kewq2PF9sbSyoOqLyIarZLLHzRE-aIahxSPgv3hfxN_COl9SJ0gFRO8BLXuURKLiR96Laju0KInuBJ5GmSMYZ77a18Ke/s640/IMG_5334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78hcmS5-3OyTWce0dxcVqbJEXeZ3aC8W3Fzm3xTw-SN7eMb68kewq2PF9sbSyoOqLyIarZLLHzRE-aIahxSPgv3hfxN_COl9SJ0gFRO8BLXuURKLiR96Laju0KInuBJ5GmSMYZ77a18Ke/w480-h640/IMG_5334.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So there wasn't anything wrong with the sunroom, per se, but once I tore up the carpet it was all one tone - floor, walls, ceiling. It needed contrast and even though it gets tons of light, it was clear the room could be even brighter if some white was introduced. My father decided on shiplap and drywall and I suggested we bead board the ceiling so that the room wasn't all white. And, as it turned out when my father started pulling the original boards off the window trim, most of the room wasn't insulated. So with that remedied, the sun room is on its way back to being a spectacular room, albeit brighter and more temperature appropriate. </div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlK8pFwcN4DcdBHWkZpxk3a0NMVAWK5ollYsT5J5RkhTmAG2UpnnsbacEkZyZ4iTGcEyM2UozBQ04YYcX_GEqevxvUpPxWkgj2gy8fMNXXqMoFUsoIqD7XaWdXMFD-3_G58biltpojjdB/s640/IMG_5333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlK8pFwcN4DcdBHWkZpxk3a0NMVAWK5ollYsT5J5RkhTmAG2UpnnsbacEkZyZ4iTGcEyM2UozBQ04YYcX_GEqevxvUpPxWkgj2gy8fMNXXqMoFUsoIqD7XaWdXMFD-3_G58biltpojjdB/w480-h640/IMG_5333.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I just want to lay on a couch in here and nap/read all afternoon.</p><p>~ Stephanie</p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-20059976278930577612021-04-06T08:55:00.001-04:002021-04-06T08:55:30.539-04:00The Carriage House is Coming Along<p>This post is purely to show off my father's handiwork. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegiSmqE7jCh3QxKl_60DZHzOeh0KQB6W7AZy2IOLj2jmfQsfd9AAs7QN4pIf7APA65dhm6hJkrrD6Euk7LGYFeiYWpI3xlgmNXcvrIPYgAPtobuIhFickgTmuGsGHnr7z7PWgIdyoue2o/s640/IMG_5302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegiSmqE7jCh3QxKl_60DZHzOeh0KQB6W7AZy2IOLj2jmfQsfd9AAs7QN4pIf7APA65dhm6hJkrrD6Euk7LGYFeiYWpI3xlgmNXcvrIPYgAPtobuIhFickgTmuGsGHnr7z7PWgIdyoue2o/w480-h640/IMG_5302.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>A month ago the carriage house/barn room was two levels (albeit a very unsecure second level). My father removed each board that made up the second level's floor (which are currently piled on the floor as we figure out how to reuse them) along with the beams and then reusing some of the wood he built these gorgeous trusses. I know this picture isn't the best quality but you can generally see them. <p></p><p>Next the ceiling will be insulated and I think the plan is to cover it with shiplap so that the white ceiling brings more light to the room while staying true to the nature of the room. AND it'll make the trusses stand out spectacularly. </p><p>~ Stephanie</p><p><br /><br /></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-77023202162896818662021-03-31T17:12:00.001-04:002021-03-31T17:12:15.225-04:00Nearly Two Months Into The 1850 Renovation<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been almost 2 months that we've been working on the 1850 Homestead. Normally, we'd be much further along, but we've had some complications that I won't get into that delayed our ability to get the electrician and plumber in to work on the house. So it's going slower than we'd like. Then again, it's been nice not feeling like we have to race as fast and long as humanly possible to get this done. We're taking time to think about things and make more thoughtful decisions, in some aspects. </div><p></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZJGSi1xRoIAW49-NHs8JehOb9bkfe8amY9K-1HQuem3CQB59FuuBFVupYnkxvxmmitQyuDSX__d4ke1a3Efacmuw7NbgpIcCXQoOtFtbVink68YZihw_yFjJIV9fc__0Wf8Tatk20yy2/s640/IMG_5284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZJGSi1xRoIAW49-NHs8JehOb9bkfe8amY9K-1HQuem3CQB59FuuBFVupYnkxvxmmitQyuDSX__d4ke1a3Efacmuw7NbgpIcCXQoOtFtbVink68YZihw_yFjJIV9fc__0Wf8Tatk20yy2/w480-h640/IMG_5284.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We happened to be up in the attic last weekend talking about the carpet that will eventually be installed in there and I looked into the sectioned off/unfinished part of the attic where there's no insulation and the ceilings are basically the roof, and I commented, "I wish we could make this room (the finished part) bigger." And just like that my dad set about tearing down a wall and rebuilding it a couple feet over to make the finished attic space feel incrementally larger. If we'd been racing to get items checked off we wouldn't have considered doing this. And now the buyers will have a great space for an office or a kids' room. So maybe there is added value in taking our time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_HJN_1fgE_rhOnN05wmEiHF9cl6_1GAX5X53_DZ09LSOPC6QI_X1KroMD4zElkTfG3XZ3_sra-N4ule_GGvJ6TIMfSdhxhRYCDX4H1nTbISV9Dw6u8i-f73S9run3ObjTBUx92meWByy/s640/IMG_5271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_HJN_1fgE_rhOnN05wmEiHF9cl6_1GAX5X53_DZ09LSOPC6QI_X1KroMD4zElkTfG3XZ3_sra-N4ule_GGvJ6TIMfSdhxhRYCDX4H1nTbISV9Dw6u8i-f73S9run3ObjTBUx92meWByy/w480-h640/IMG_5271.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />I kind of still can't believe we got this house. There are so many aspects of it, little things like the star detail on the front porch, that excite me. How cool is that? I know that not everyone is in the market for a house this old, with bedrooms that aren't huge, with floors that aren't uniform pre-fab wood, there are a lot of quirks. But there is so much about this house - the staircase and bannister, the tall ceilings, the yard, the sun room, and eventually the carriage house-turned family room, that the right family is going to be obsessed with. And then they'll have to pry the key from my hands.<p></p><p>~ Stephanie</p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-17460282059607438812021-03-16T09:29:00.003-04:002021-03-16T09:32:14.477-04:00Only Took Me Four Days...<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It took me ten or so hours spread out over 4 days, and I really overdid it on my back and swore like you wouldn't believe, but I finally got up the subfloor in the hallway between the carriage house and the kitchen. The top layer was tile and that came up pretty easily, but the subfloor was glued AND nailed down with 3" nails, many of which were so soft they bent when I tried prying them up. My dad said I was milking it, but my inability to sleep because my back was so sore would suggest otherwise.</span></div><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These floors and this room, we do not believe to be part of the original house. We think this part of the house was added on sometime later, likely in the 1900s. But whenever these floorboards were installed, and because they were under layers of tile and plywood, they're in pretty good condition. Our floor guys will sand them down and stain them to protect them as this is a high-traffic area. One door leads to the driveway, another to the carriage house which we're turning into the family room, and then there's going to be a doorway to the first floor bathroom. So these floors will get a lot of tread. I'm just really excited to see how they look.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj976atENveyb87hTmLoIfpZip7uGElnCLMeCi7MQkMdtJcKlHlACvUfr8rN47VY0JLCxpFapkZJUUIk2lwfttpGvOf0hpndnaLPPYPJgKW34B-AhsSXZnXDy98IzYg0m93jr97vWwOzGQS/s640/IMG_5244.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj976atENveyb87hTmLoIfpZip7uGElnCLMeCi7MQkMdtJcKlHlACvUfr8rN47VY0JLCxpFapkZJUUIk2lwfttpGvOf0hpndnaLPPYPJgKW34B-AhsSXZnXDy98IzYg0m93jr97vWwOzGQS/w480-h640/IMG_5244.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-68892187099122599302021-03-08T11:54:00.000-05:002021-03-08T11:54:09.135-05:00Let's Talk About Lighting<p>The 1850 Homestead is a classic New England, albeit outdated, home. So I knew I didn't want to go too modern on any element of the house because that wouldn't be sticking with the true nature of the house. So I went searching for classic lines that look new-ish. What I decided on for the hallways, landing, kitchen (aside from the can lights), maybe also the sun room, etc. are the Safavieh light below. Luckily, I snagged them before they sold out (hopefully I don't need more). They are classic and interesting without being too distracting. And I've never picked a gold finish before so I'm excited to see how that looks installed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_iLpxfzJap7ylXmi7JRfL1lZeuSlOqAWR9IrQ9_CKf0u32hulJaJhglMKCiq6WnCVNFZQ3mHxmQVAElX8Fy1wy3yy6IzAUpF7HC6bOv56EC_7_5CEY6lqG1IYsgCnm791u-EOmtkRBV0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="675" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC_iLpxfzJap7ylXmi7JRfL1lZeuSlOqAWR9IrQ9_CKf0u32hulJaJhglMKCiq6WnCVNFZQ3mHxmQVAElX8Fy1wy3yy6IzAUpF7HC6bOv56EC_7_5CEY6lqG1IYsgCnm791u-EOmtkRBV0/" width="240" /></a></div><br />Originally, after purchasing the lights, I thought I'd use one in the dining room. What's currently hanging in there is the most monstrous and distracting chandelier (I guess I don't have a close-up picture of it, which is kind of absurd). I think it has 11 gold arms, each with a red shade. As I thought about it I realized the dining room should have something to set it apart from other rooms. It needed just a bit of drama, so I started looking at chandeliers. What I ended up buying is below, by LNC. It's not too busy, has an antique feel, but is classic. And now that the dining room has been painted and is no longer that horrible, deep red, I think it's going to remind whoever buys this special home that there is so much history in these walls. I'm excited to see it installed (and to stage the dining room). <p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4f_62SCxu3EXEvxk3aGtxCRBm75_3VXXtsVSThJe_2LsvW2G_p_7CQKRJVQV-6A9G-6IgdGVxJIGcgHvGSvog2rct_9_NFIwQX8umLw2tGAquQn_a7v08NkIvI3nvHeDamnRJBoulzzB/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="675" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4f_62SCxu3EXEvxk3aGtxCRBm75_3VXXtsVSThJe_2LsvW2G_p_7CQKRJVQV-6A9G-6IgdGVxJIGcgHvGSvog2rct_9_NFIwQX8umLw2tGAquQn_a7v08NkIvI3nvHeDamnRJBoulzzB/" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-91086300445093110392021-02-24T11:20:00.002-05:002021-02-24T11:20:25.535-05:00Paint Colors - An Ode to Anxiety<p> This past weekend we spent a day shopping - ordering shower bases, a tub, looking at replacement windows, shower fixtures, and paint. Let me say that picking a paint color always seems easy and I feel so sure and then immediately afterward, pulling out of the parking lot with the 5-gallon bucket in the back of the truck, I have intense buyer's remorse. Always. Ohmygod - did I pick the completely wrong color? </p><p>For the 1850s Homestead, I went into the design planning on a color I'd seen a well-known interior designer use recently in her own home. It looked great in her Instagram stories. Then I saw the swatch in person and had a physical reaction. Way too yellowy-taupe. And I love taupe, but this was the absolute wrong color for this house.</p><p>Currently, the 1850s Homestead has a bright yellow parlor, a dark red dining room, and now that I'm thinking about it I don't even remember what color is upstairs in the bedrooms - white? Taupe? It's not important because it's all going to get painted and feel reinvigorated. I don't want to remove the charm, because the history is what makes this house special, but the paint color was never part of the charm. And because so many rooms in the house get fantastic light I want to incorporate that throughout with a light paint color.</p><p>What I ended up choosing is Sherwin Williams Fleur de Sel (SW 7666). The color is below but even that doesn't look like the swatch currently before me on my desk. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it looks once it's on the walls, which I believe is happening this week or next. What I will say is that a few days post-purchase, I am feeling confident again in the color choice. Especially once the white trim is done.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMlo9_rcf-ZZFtdMm3EdKEcNM8y27XSenwm-BexjA1tJX9vw4KYGT6TNv4I2RZaX8fjjczyasN3XwW4TNKqRgk6kFJRo5icP1syipgaIH83reYX6kTyZXZs94yYM100Tm6E_2peND7JmE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMlo9_rcf-ZZFtdMm3EdKEcNM8y27XSenwm-BexjA1tJX9vw4KYGT6TNv4I2RZaX8fjjczyasN3XwW4TNKqRgk6kFJRo5icP1syipgaIH83reYX6kTyZXZs94yYM100Tm6E_2peND7JmE/" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I especially cannot wait to see the red dining room transformed. My nana informed me on Sunday, after walking through the house to see our progress, that you should never paint a dining room red because it induces over-eating. So keep that in mind when you're picking paint colors. Red = glutinous eating. </p><p>~ Stephanie</p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-46975261103347333942021-02-16T09:42:00.001-05:002021-02-16T09:42:18.101-05:00The 1850 Homestead - First Look<p> This past weekend, if you follow Blackburn Family Design on Instagram, you probably watched multiple time lapse videos of me doing various demo around the house. With any house, you're going to find things you weren't expecting. Like in the Harvard Ranch where I demoed a wall and found a very old Schlitz can, rusted with age, standing between each stud for the entire length of the wall.</p><p>So far in this house I've found unexpected wallpaper. There is a room between the front hallway and the kitchen that had green walls but we could tell it was that faux wood paneling that seems to pop up in every house we renovate. So I started taking those down and found this wallpaper (below) hidden behind it. It's horsehair plaster and it's crumbling so we're going to have to demo more of it and replace it with drywall, so that was unexpected.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwOorN1H4glBM10Qu3hcOggv8Htw0G06xVT7G59OTE_dfGRdau9J9oZw3un_-XVaLZO3-555ih7VBIhjn1T-Apr4jtcabSB_a5aU45Yht23shjUQnmgcshUk8vKNwHn21-yLBGM8uPx39/s640/IMG_5092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwOorN1H4glBM10Qu3hcOggv8Htw0G06xVT7G59OTE_dfGRdau9J9oZw3un_-XVaLZO3-555ih7VBIhjn1T-Apr4jtcabSB_a5aU45Yht23shjUQnmgcshUk8vKNwHn21-yLBGM8uPx39/w480-h640/IMG_5092.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we saw the house back in November we were in it for maybe half an hour, since there were Covid restrictions and people were limited in numbers and length of time. Once our offer was accepted I started studying the layout, which I'd saved off the listing. And I couldn't quite remember, but from the blueprints it looked like there were two built-ins back to back (on in the front hall, one in the dining room). The more I looked at the layout, the more I questioned whether those built-ins were necessary, and I know, removing built-ins is like a faux pas, but I didn't like that if someone was working in the front room with the doors closed (because I'm imagining it as an office) then the only way to get to the dining room from the front of the house is walking all the way down the length of the house and then looping back through the kitchen. We needed another access point. So I took out both built-ins (the "back" or dividing wall of both was another faux-wood panel, go figure). It was clear once the built-ins were removed, that this space had once been a doorway that someone chose to cover up and underneath the faux wood paneling was this gorgeous water-colory wallpaper (below). Sadly, it's not salvageable, but it's lovely and I'm glad I got to see it.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_3KirC3-VUJlLo8Hw3hmUlvCwcXlvG9vnn3ygQZDT4-JAC4yyX7XHJ5uqIlgsZgorb2vk2MoWXkrKuCbNPMSf8zjK0zzxcZAknBkgZ5ffWNUDDt_O7nhBu3mu31ZkEdWP2MCnJ-RzdOb/s640/IMG_5087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_3KirC3-VUJlLo8Hw3hmUlvCwcXlvG9vnn3ygQZDT4-JAC4yyX7XHJ5uqIlgsZgorb2vk2MoWXkrKuCbNPMSf8zjK0zzxcZAknBkgZ5ffWNUDDt_O7nhBu3mu31ZkEdWP2MCnJ-RzdOb/w480-h640/IMG_5087.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started off the day on Saturday working in the sun porch, where this door is currently located. The door will have to be removed and closed off because if you were to open that door and step out you'd fall about five feet. It's unclear whether there once were steps of a porch out there, but there isn't one now so we'll be moving the door elsewhere. I love how the red house across the street is so picturesque in the snow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiYYEcbdI-8qFrRcGjpL8i7LGH2cT4m7l6EoelkJpO8pUUqHSrwK_UUnAKAfhREtOV-UcjDYZ-Xe-zFUMsi4lV-b1mC75Kn81CH6vm3v5EnqDZbJ6tvzaAsA133xUqkRLTsvzGhLvL8s1/s640/IMG_5067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiYYEcbdI-8qFrRcGjpL8i7LGH2cT4m7l6EoelkJpO8pUUqHSrwK_UUnAKAfhREtOV-UcjDYZ-Xe-zFUMsi4lV-b1mC75Kn81CH6vm3v5EnqDZbJ6tvzaAsA133xUqkRLTsvzGhLvL8s1/w480-h640/IMG_5067.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you watched all my stories on Instagram over the weekend then you saw me remove all the curtains and rods and tear up the carpet to reveal gorgeous wood beneath it (second photo below). This is currently my favorite room of the house because it had three walls of windows, gets sun the entire day, and I would very much like to install a sectional and spend my Sundays reading out there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQ6kdaBtJQdRuRM8KCxCTZ-wkRnp-IPHqP9XOfTxRb14vrIf1LjByHJXsTpgjb_R94U-eDK8ckP1OkcRe89g_X4A-e5MrfsavcCW94OuFEnYWh1BgHUfek6v68U4U_2IwBAh-QsTgIb63/s2048/IMG_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQ6kdaBtJQdRuRM8KCxCTZ-wkRnp-IPHqP9XOfTxRb14vrIf1LjByHJXsTpgjb_R94U-eDK8ckP1OkcRe89g_X4A-e5MrfsavcCW94OuFEnYWh1BgHUfek6v68U4U_2IwBAh-QsTgIb63/w640-h426/IMG_0211.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTPm1ioL902g41mwDTnEmLKY4glaUtWaxy7HQBKPjRQktYx6Zn-U973kV90UFqTk2zQ28jT9sXyAviHqJ4awY_9ilaeIHqwx7OWlB5d7PTxi8DvIZWAR4AOz2251FcFF6rnJGwwXpOGTh/s640/IMG_5065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTPm1ioL902g41mwDTnEmLKY4glaUtWaxy7HQBKPjRQktYx6Zn-U973kV90UFqTk2zQ28jT9sXyAviHqJ4awY_9ilaeIHqwx7OWlB5d7PTxi8DvIZWAR4AOz2251FcFF6rnJGwwXpOGTh/w480-h640/IMG_5065.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, I really can't wait until the kitchen is complete. The "cabinets" below, well, what do you even say about those? They weren't cabinets. I feel like those drawers came from a dresser? Needless to say, demoing the kitchen was quicker work than past houses, and we've been to see our cabinet guy and made decisions about layout, color, and door front. So we're on our way. And I tore up that hideous red carpet and the subfloor under it revealing oak floors that will need to be sanded and stained. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBVy1nEyTNmc0eMM18kbzI595h9iXF72xJVmoj8umtEJJU0HQRk_ZjQvz7VEkJrOKuqgOZmWXnzdEUEVJdywnU2CEEVb2mKot2j4Zs1WhET6QoNVxT5DwzGdnM8kAHwdWQNiFVDxjcoi_/s640/IMG_5041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBVy1nEyTNmc0eMM18kbzI595h9iXF72xJVmoj8umtEJJU0HQRk_ZjQvz7VEkJrOKuqgOZmWXnzdEUEVJdywnU2CEEVb2mKot2j4Zs1WhET6QoNVxT5DwzGdnM8kAHwdWQNiFVDxjcoi_/w480-h640/IMG_5041.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As with every house, this is now my favorite renovation to date and we're only one week in. I just... I love it. I love the character, how each room feels grand in its own way, how the previous families over the past 175 years have taken such good care of it. And I am so excited to see it transform into something even more beloved. I'll do my best to remember to post each week but for more content check out our Instagram (@BlackburnFamilyDesign) to see much more as it happens.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~ Stephanie</div><p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-45374725245381985282021-02-09T11:54:00.001-05:002021-02-09T11:54:36.799-05:00Welcome to the 1850 Homestead<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwoPfX1XI1VyAxtfBK5YhZqlwK9BMTpWRli_Qs6Mq4MNkAZFVNiJtWpH2cOlKBdsN1wN6fllgmCRL0Z2oB3M-J13an0uZYJBzIhsqw-drYsMJEUQoVjQbYB3bQ7v78xNk2jBtyuchN25l/s640/IMG_4980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwoPfX1XI1VyAxtfBK5YhZqlwK9BMTpWRli_Qs6Mq4MNkAZFVNiJtWpH2cOlKBdsN1wN6fllgmCRL0Z2oB3M-J13an0uZYJBzIhsqw-drYsMJEUQoVjQbYB3bQ7v78xNk2jBtyuchN25l/w480-h640/IMG_4980.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been seven months since we sold our last renovation house. In that time, we went under agreement on two properties but ended up backing out over various issues, put numerous offers in on other properties always losing out to higher bids (for an example of house crazy the housing market outside of Boston has been during Covid, we went 100k over asking on offer and STILL lost out), and then finally in November had an offer accepted on a house I never thought we'd get. And now in February it's officially ours. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This property was built in 1850 (so our oldest house to-date) and the previous owners had it for 42 years. You can tell that even though it's rough around the edges and outdated, this home has been loved. None of our previous houses has felt uniquely New England to me, but this house sure does. I mean it still has the original well house (see top picture). I haven't peeked inside there just yet because of the snow but I promised a friend I would post a video of what's inside when I do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What I love most about this house is the history and charm (and also how it's not as gross as every other house we've renovated). The floors are gorgeous and have been so well-maintained. And that banister - one of the houses we lost out on in the fall had a gorgeous banister and I realized that's all I really wanted in our next house. So, wish granted. The wrap-around porch has so much charm (I'll post that later) and the attached carriage house is going to be turned into the family room, while keeping much of it's current charm (like the gorgeous sliding barn door). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There will be a lot more to come as we get going on this renovation. I'm so excited to share it with you as I think this home is so lovely and charming (and the kitchen is going to be huge, which my dad always makes sound like a bad thing, but honestly, when has having a huge kitchen ever been a negative thing?). Follow along on Instagram for real-time updates (@blackburnfamilydesign). I think you're going to love this house as much as I already do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaPdOowUuH-YKmGHC2rj6Q8uPjYhpllcRokstjgeo_2n5Qcolwg8arv0Mg9MUX0CKuvahqao1YfpmukkUIbdpp8ladTMvUsT7CPpZpuETv5Og4z99g07DDYvZsywYxOIxcjDTaDcnvQcp/s640/IMG_5034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaPdOowUuH-YKmGHC2rj6Q8uPjYhpllcRokstjgeo_2n5Qcolwg8arv0Mg9MUX0CKuvahqao1YfpmukkUIbdpp8ladTMvUsT7CPpZpuETv5Og4z99g07DDYvZsywYxOIxcjDTaDcnvQcp/w480-h640/IMG_5034.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~ Stephanie</div><br /><p></p>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-60735745344026336932020-09-21T12:11:00.000-04:002020-09-21T12:11:11.664-04:00Staging: A Cambridge Condo<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the beginning of the month I was brought in to consult on and then stage a 2bed/2bath 2nd floor condo in Cambridge. The location was great but the interior needed just a touch of work. Mainly, painting. One of the bathrooms (below) was mint green, the other (not pictured) was a deep pink. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCram7RnT9LsCm6xO0BMaC9smYeLf7Il9CWM4PrL4dTFbVqyW43ez7Bd3PF45YGTlbZu1Mx9wsKQS2uWNWBalv_oJpt6gHKwIulQKQ6Z9ncHbh73u_RVtB1BfhlageIv8UUz-yhFFHv2O/s640/20SevenPinesBathroomBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCram7RnT9LsCm6xO0BMaC9smYeLf7Il9CWM4PrL4dTFbVqyW43ez7Bd3PF45YGTlbZu1Mx9wsKQS2uWNWBalv_oJpt6gHKwIulQKQ6Z9ncHbh73u_RVtB1BfhlageIv8UUz-yhFFHv2O/w480-h640/20SevenPinesBathroomBefore.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgQeefcsB0mR4oZApZJWAfLXLTf4xuqlm1e6O_O_6z2rbcduLfRk5aDN-m80orAD26ryDcV4uS1cnipLjRqXEEPEvGk30QDFT9jVDBEBC6JY3cZUKQQ4aPRDhaqJi1pdhbQeBBJQu7soZ/s2048/20SevenPinesCambridgeBath1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgQeefcsB0mR4oZApZJWAfLXLTf4xuqlm1e6O_O_6z2rbcduLfRk5aDN-m80orAD26ryDcV4uS1cnipLjRqXEEPEvGk30QDFT9jVDBEBC6JY3cZUKQQ4aPRDhaqJi1pdhbQeBBJQu7soZ/w640-h426/20SevenPinesCambridgeBath1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span><a name='more'></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgQeefcsB0mR4oZApZJWAfLXLTf4xuqlm1e6O_O_6z2rbcduLfRk5aDN-m80orAD26ryDcV4uS1cnipLjRqXEEPEvGk30QDFT9jVDBEBC6JY3cZUKQQ4aPRDhaqJi1pdhbQeBBJQu7soZ/s2048/20SevenPinesCambridgeBath1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a>One of the bedrooms was a dark blue, which made the space, which is a really great space, feel cold. So first up was to paint the entire space in one singular color. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSP32cILYhr2zldQ4rZcwR7jn6k5c22vEQgEpW9jSOR34M8dHathGA8uYNfkG5c0Q2d2JyhyNNASSDHYwZKb9PNgsGXq29kcswf0xKNI9oaYq9IRP46NdzEeD1A6HR3O2AGlBduxR4aGb/s640/20SevenPinesBed1After.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBToO9YyW6tmNAedlCNgsOjcCa8U6QeT0v49Y-Zy4_7MTlFf_bQdeY_uaeLiGAm0Mg89lW8BlCesQ6H_WYwVXzu69HVQL5SsbzuAKbTk9MfOTnFMx9nhK6_F-7B6kw1-kEeZEm4ywPL2TA/s640/20SevenPinesBed1Before.jpg" style="display: inline !important; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBToO9YyW6tmNAedlCNgsOjcCa8U6QeT0v49Y-Zy4_7MTlFf_bQdeY_uaeLiGAm0Mg89lW8BlCesQ6H_WYwVXzu69HVQL5SsbzuAKbTk9MfOTnFMx9nhK6_F-7B6kw1-kEeZEm4ywPL2TA/w480-h640/20SevenPinesBed1Before.jpg" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSP32cILYhr2zldQ4rZcwR7jn6k5c22vEQgEpW9jSOR34M8dHathGA8uYNfkG5c0Q2d2JyhyNNASSDHYwZKb9PNgsGXq29kcswf0xKNI9oaYq9IRP46NdzEeD1A6HR3O2AGlBduxR4aGb/s640/20SevenPinesBed1After.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-S2m_b8i0ag3azt83wkab3p37w5QcYqyKKEV1VoChDW7vCSPfubmhs-3A8jjQiv8Y4jx-kRGD6N7L1nHSBQycM51sfKsUj5VxBfMY3R89wXlYqmD5NDr39rxPUkcuFMoLKj3Fgc4AgpXZ/s2048/20SevenPinesCambridgeMaster2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-S2m_b8i0ag3azt83wkab3p37w5QcYqyKKEV1VoChDW7vCSPfubmhs-3A8jjQiv8Y4jx-kRGD6N7L1nHSBQycM51sfKsUj5VxBfMY3R89wXlYqmD5NDr39rxPUkcuFMoLKj3Fgc4AgpXZ/w640-h426/20SevenPinesCambridgeMaster2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Next up was to rework the layout of some of the seller's existing furniture to better fit the space. By positioning the bed right at the entrance to the room the space felt incredibly tight, but by just moving it to beneath the windows the room ended up feeling so much bigger.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk0gRXgsZGMBwmgxnDU9Y2F6_OCK1jVE1q_aF7n_uX4hSxPa1RA3DbQqvYVpcFUeb-69PoT3Yy7wiCOnyMsGPdH6QYdNE-XcILASr0Q_o_QKGqWudsPBUeg3I2Fql1Q9Zp1hxQWyAFM7r/s640/20SevenPinesBed2After.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKK2OxYWunn6Os5kzTTNtA7P_p_3RmRljqMilKhq1A8ClOnfkTqXX1S8Rb-K-72rUgrB2VTK3Ar9K55GyLxu1qSa5B1gabbykIuTnL96YX1IbuM3grxc8fQNknGfH2jVUEcAJ0ev2RqmU/s640/20SevenPinesBed2Before.jpg" style="display: inline !important; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKK2OxYWunn6Os5kzTTNtA7P_p_3RmRljqMilKhq1A8ClOnfkTqXX1S8Rb-K-72rUgrB2VTK3Ar9K55GyLxu1qSa5B1gabbykIuTnL96YX1IbuM3grxc8fQNknGfH2jVUEcAJ0ev2RqmU/w480-h640/20SevenPinesBed2Before.jpg" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk0gRXgsZGMBwmgxnDU9Y2F6_OCK1jVE1q_aF7n_uX4hSxPa1RA3DbQqvYVpcFUeb-69PoT3Yy7wiCOnyMsGPdH6QYdNE-XcILASr0Q_o_QKGqWudsPBUeg3I2Fql1Q9Zp1hxQWyAFM7r/s640/20SevenPinesBed2After.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk0gRXgsZGMBwmgxnDU9Y2F6_OCK1jVE1q_aF7n_uX4hSxPa1RA3DbQqvYVpcFUeb-69PoT3Yy7wiCOnyMsGPdH6QYdNE-XcILASr0Q_o_QKGqWudsPBUeg3I2Fql1Q9Zp1hxQWyAFM7r/w480-h640/20SevenPinesBed2After.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And then with the kitchen, open shelves help this space feel bigger than if there were uppers over the sink. However, when you have open shelves you have to be mindful that everything shows so you have to be selective in how much you display. Crowding open shelves is a mistake that's easy to fix.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN6CMNX08V4BLEq3XWf9xehXaOfEUNNj43XJs_e20jxOfKFt3A7DcehE3bSQSDzg7yV71edJeog5xTjHb5ALFqn0HbXH__zYMWbyZEZh1R3Xnv1epBJzS_KFWdJOzNPEIZrlq0t5RG9sk/s640/20SevenPinesKitchenBefore.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN6CMNX08V4BLEq3XWf9xehXaOfEUNNj43XJs_e20jxOfKFt3A7DcehE3bSQSDzg7yV71edJeog5xTjHb5ALFqn0HbXH__zYMWbyZEZh1R3Xnv1epBJzS_KFWdJOzNPEIZrlq0t5RG9sk/w480-h640/20SevenPinesKitchenBefore.jpg" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeN6CMNX08V4BLEq3XWf9xehXaOfEUNNj43XJs_e20jxOfKFt3A7DcehE3bSQSDzg7yV71edJeog5xTjHb5ALFqn0HbXH__zYMWbyZEZh1R3Xnv1epBJzS_KFWdJOzNPEIZrlq0t5RG9sk/s640/20SevenPinesKitchenBefore.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93KhaB1lCmDr6gtGwVvAjTIwBb1EfPjGh_kFjWDehUiYfCOc5PVyjPtUekDBTSWzqM5J0k2RMipyh6FItjaYD9NF05ePhDrUYkpZMH8TpsmQqrUBXHq1dUZvRZLnJkMf2FDVXDk-PLFC7/s2048/20SevenPinesCambridgeKitchen4.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93KhaB1lCmDr6gtGwVvAjTIwBb1EfPjGh_kFjWDehUiYfCOc5PVyjPtUekDBTSWzqM5J0k2RMipyh6FItjaYD9NF05ePhDrUYkpZMH8TpsmQqrUBXHq1dUZvRZLnJkMf2FDVXDk-PLFC7/w640-h426/20SevenPinesCambridgeKitchen4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The problem with the living space was that there was oversized furniture and the placement (couch and chair facing the dining table) made the room feel one-purpose. But what I realized on the day of staging is that it's actually big enough to be two separate spaces if you just use the couch as a divider. And then it feels like you have two rooms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVh2qtieYt9XQHmqXAzP7XJFaCOQmDhgOtHZfp_36oqMxPK9oJS3u1olO0snE96O669q6F1kgdg_wTkwSDofbc5Po7hMvbhX9qW8Xc7nqElQg_h9fyT_kWPP0O7UzGXmR5h54aZbEiD4J/s640/20SevenPinesLivingSpaceBefore2.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ld_ZCUuC5Ere8_nGKcPBstHr74e8GHmyhno1GMz53o0ospiqZVqxVKmMKGo9BGhIEb7t2TZb2bgsWF8yyCX7URnfUbH0T_IkqzwRgJwQ2Tl82uRbHPUoiVSc_DDs6zHYDyAFrgqAWyAy/s640/20SevenPinesLivingSpaceBefore.jpg" style="display: inline !important; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ld_ZCUuC5Ere8_nGKcPBstHr74e8GHmyhno1GMz53o0ospiqZVqxVKmMKGo9BGhIEb7t2TZb2bgsWF8yyCX7URnfUbH0T_IkqzwRgJwQ2Tl82uRbHPUoiVSc_DDs6zHYDyAFrgqAWyAy/s320/20SevenPinesLivingSpaceBefore.jpg" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVh2qtieYt9XQHmqXAzP7XJFaCOQmDhgOtHZfp_36oqMxPK9oJS3u1olO0snE96O669q6F1kgdg_wTkwSDofbc5Po7hMvbhX9qW8Xc7nqElQg_h9fyT_kWPP0O7UzGXmR5h54aZbEiD4J/s320/20SevenPinesLivingSpaceBefore2.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV29cX6XG7S4tkmPD_h1bWOJiIhw4dZvG9ANSjX2gBKWV1XqLvZ-oi-HfPZnsVkujzEK1-qmailTmW9awk5Ieg2_8I2iEWBmP3vXd5FI8ufDmd6Xb7GWJDkHZKUeG94q-nwH8WW8pAPqbc/s640/20SevenPinesLivingSpaceAfter3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="640" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV29cX6XG7S4tkmPD_h1bWOJiIhw4dZvG9ANSjX2gBKWV1XqLvZ-oi-HfPZnsVkujzEK1-qmailTmW9awk5Ieg2_8I2iEWBmP3vXd5FI8ufDmd6Xb7GWJDkHZKUeG94q-nwH8WW8pAPqbc/w640-h272/20SevenPinesLivingSpaceAfter3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1bFZHTZDjVLXEPQ5V1i_ctA6UOzjwbvQKY8kjAL0PhXNijhH8Rfb6EkBFXT3_mhLZ8zj3JU74kb4Ec_579gTbfqSLarJ9I-lS1Ln1IMpDcox03jDS4f30LCpWhFWO1URBRXsqAR39xt0/s640/20SevenPinesLivingSpaceAfter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="569" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1bFZHTZDjVLXEPQ5V1i_ctA6UOzjwbvQKY8kjAL0PhXNijhH8Rfb6EkBFXT3_mhLZ8zj3JU74kb4Ec_579gTbfqSLarJ9I-lS1Ln1IMpDcox03jDS4f30LCpWhFWO1URBRXsqAR39xt0/w568-h640/20SevenPinesLivingSpaceAfter2.jpg" width="568" /></a></div><br />~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-88221501136243392482020-06-11T17:47:00.000-04:002020-06-11T17:47:43.153-04:00Staging A Somerville StudioI was asked to stage a condo in Somerville for a couple who were moving to Colorado. I get it. In a pandemic, with no end in sight, I am constantly thinking about how much I wish I was in Wyoming instead of Boston. To be fair though, they also have a new baby and a boisterous dog, so a studio no longer made sense for them. For a single person or a couple though, this home can absolutely work, quarantine or not. Because on top of the beautiful interior there are two porches.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLi4_tddzookYkBGUa7bRoI7kwu8hf6i_yjCaDEKYIY89zKtBaHnp0VtYWJYIf7UDzcQfTcjkMp1DmBL_cu7L4ltRU7AHoyYv6kergl9TmwNZEZtQ_StJ-U89WgJ8l3lNCQP3TTjOc0Mt7/s640/117Yorktown1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="640" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLi4_tddzookYkBGUa7bRoI7kwu8hf6i_yjCaDEKYIY89zKtBaHnp0VtYWJYIf7UDzcQfTcjkMp1DmBL_cu7L4ltRU7AHoyYv6kergl9TmwNZEZtQ_StJ-U89WgJ8l3lNCQP3TTjOc0Mt7/w640-h429/117Yorktown1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div>Whenever this property was renovated, they installed skylights in the bedroom and bathroom and it brings so much light into the space throughout the whole day. It made me so happy while staging.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM55VHvzWliYn8y0nJvOsWrKiLUiWYUPAU6iqwussQdleIQojKysQAL3yQGZsCRXatn3i1Gz-g75OTTi_Ncg93ZAJ6x8Ql82dmPXsvLKAWmNDq_1VjdnwvgCjl4TGTvqzBIhMrRp7nrtA/s640/117Yorktown2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM55VHvzWliYn8y0nJvOsWrKiLUiWYUPAU6iqwussQdleIQojKysQAL3yQGZsCRXatn3i1Gz-g75OTTi_Ncg93ZAJ6x8Ql82dmPXsvLKAWmNDq_1VjdnwvgCjl4TGTvqzBIhMrRp7nrtA/w640-h428/117Yorktown2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>At first glance, the dining nook didn't seem that big, like fitting 4 chairs would be a tight fit. But then I realized that by utilizing a bench you could actually host five people for dinner. And with a narrow rectangular table and two benches you could host six people. Small spaces do not mean hosting is out of the question. You just have to be creative.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikEmrLL9BtDTI4RYFjPCU6lBsM2zs7sX0f8wg9_Gp6ROYvsNGhEXHJS5vKt3OfwCbGUNvkdo8BuGr68h8kTZLIUfj_DNWhZKokeAgNouFYj-n_6CkP4Q1nc_36PeKWL0pFu_xVSzBSzOo/s640/117Yorktown3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikEmrLL9BtDTI4RYFjPCU6lBsM2zs7sX0f8wg9_Gp6ROYvsNGhEXHJS5vKt3OfwCbGUNvkdo8BuGr68h8kTZLIUfj_DNWhZKokeAgNouFYj-n_6CkP4Q1nc_36PeKWL0pFu_xVSzBSzOo/w640-h428/117Yorktown3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Look at the skylights over the bedroom. The entire time I was staging I kept thinking how much I wanted to crawl into bed, read a book, and take a sun-filled nap. And then imagine in winter, curled up watching the snow fall. I need skylights in my life.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3z7T7qZGjjhFhSU7QwNLjPSr69L9SO1_kFO2Z-t1wmlk2XtHer-xkeNLiaqw8c9Mzf5OIx6Qrh0KuLXGCICOr1lfBwzPNRBkiqu3mbUJbXdSTy9_qRyTbQOLUNhrt04LMR6YSInVmb6j/s640/117Yorktown4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3z7T7qZGjjhFhSU7QwNLjPSr69L9SO1_kFO2Z-t1wmlk2XtHer-xkeNLiaqw8c9Mzf5OIx6Qrh0KuLXGCICOr1lfBwzPNRBkiqu3mbUJbXdSTy9_qRyTbQOLUNhrt04LMR6YSInVmb6j/w640-h428/117Yorktown4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jqnugpnFWg0T-mvwd1EhANUJqIt4eY88cqYljv1n1bEqOg4xuA8UsO94S5bpZJII392GyE2jS0SoKUOp-AKumbm-7HkqKaaQGcqED_DR_NqrjiqO1_xd29g6KLp92VDYQaEvHZKz6N4G/s640/117Yorktown5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jqnugpnFWg0T-mvwd1EhANUJqIt4eY88cqYljv1n1bEqOg4xuA8UsO94S5bpZJII392GyE2jS0SoKUOp-AKumbm-7HkqKaaQGcqED_DR_NqrjiqO1_xd29g6KLp92VDYQaEvHZKz6N4G/w640-h428/117Yorktown5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The barn doors were a brilliant touch. They can slide to create a wall for the bedroom, or can slide to cover the closet and leave the bedroom open. They are my favorite barn doors to date and they make the ceiling feel incredibly high. I wish I could have lived in this condo throughout my twenties. Partially because it's on the third floor so my legs would have been killer. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGgDlHndnLNjL5Jp5w4R-SDtOcDuiwxxQy6vm3T1N_qnsINT_5kY1zgZTbfN2c8uZZUe0U4ev6zc4aPYAG94HRhwb3UaNoTCPefGIB3rFlbf2wZWI2g5EO_C2YQvxRMGP2L1O_LOjPyzF/s640/117Yorktown6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="640" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGgDlHndnLNjL5Jp5w4R-SDtOcDuiwxxQy6vm3T1N_qnsINT_5kY1zgZTbfN2c8uZZUe0U4ev6zc4aPYAG94HRhwb3UaNoTCPefGIB3rFlbf2wZWI2g5EO_C2YQvxRMGP2L1O_LOjPyzF/w640-h428/117Yorktown6.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm jealous of whoever ends up living here, but I also wish the couple out in Colorado the best. They enjoyed their time in this condo and now someone else gets to enjoy its beauty. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~ Stephanie</div>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-18299885219446625862020-05-14T08:00:00.003-04:002020-05-14T08:45:08.979-04:00Week 9 of Quarantine<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYjdt1TfliTmMQes50QwuQK4mmqLCT2LjEVgvTRvUmVRrIZIr8bii4nLCG6gd2i9agouQW9gFYP47ox8ycV0dCVDHe4mqlVPkYxN2C7dNH_f7-n9FhRAtDKigWWd83GznC06Kiwhm-hRx/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYjdt1TfliTmMQes50QwuQK4mmqLCT2LjEVgvTRvUmVRrIZIr8bii4nLCG6gd2i9agouQW9gFYP47ox8ycV0dCVDHe4mqlVPkYxN2C7dNH_f7-n9FhRAtDKigWWd83GznC06Kiwhm-hRx/w480-h640/IMG_2517.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I read something the other day on twitter, a reminder that what we're doing is not working from home. It's attempting to continue to work under pandemic conditions. I find myself tired all the time even though I spend the entire day sitting at a computer. A couple weeks ago my sister and I were each notified by our employers that we'd potentially come into contact with a person who had Covid the week prior (that it happened to both of us within days of each was jarring). My sister is considered an essential worker, she is at risk on a daily basis, and on some level I'm thinking about that multiple times a day, usually when I drop her off and pick her up from work and all the minutes in between.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I find myself trying to focus on positive things, lately. I look back at my pictures of Wyoming and Yellowstone and find calm in them. It's something about the wide open space, the quiet that is in those mountains and plains, and the way the air feels different there, cleaner. I also snuggle my cats as much as I can. They are the happiest creatures, content to let me hold them and kiss them as much as I need, and something about the vibrations of a purring cat loosens the anxiety in my chest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I could focus on all the stresses, like my grandmother who lives in an assisted living facility and is not doing well and cannot have visitors, or the fact that I no longer find comfort in cooking and am over-eating at an unhealthy rate, or the pain I have consistently in my back. But I'm trying, I'm really trying to focus on the feel of the sun on my face for those 15 minutes I'm driving my sister to work, or the fact that I'm still employed while so many others aren't, or that my sister lives with me so I'm not alone in this. Or even just the feel of a hot shower in the afternoon. Sometimes that's enough. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With no sense of future, forced to live in this odd state of unending present, I think we have to find little pockets of positivity to hold onto. I'm trying my best. And I hope you are too.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdN3k73vlsUdX4uzO4fBUP0pQc1XNC7aCNmUHtBys4tZGGTDerwHgw3hF4YXYpo6WdNVq4BiSpR9wTub3HgldObtm1zIwP7PdtDTCq4DYaj9UAr3cOU1U62cMtOvh1eQ5k0_4HPb6C7OVb/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdN3k73vlsUdX4uzO4fBUP0pQc1XNC7aCNmUHtBys4tZGGTDerwHgw3hF4YXYpo6WdNVq4BiSpR9wTub3HgldObtm1zIwP7PdtDTCq4DYaj9UAr3cOU1U62cMtOvh1eQ5k0_4HPb6C7OVb/w480-h640/IMG_3573.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I swear, there's nothing better than the smell of a kitty's fur when they've been laying in the sun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~ Stephanie</div>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-80039770842924481272020-05-12T13:36:00.001-04:002020-05-12T13:36:12.845-04:00A Case For Staging<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="4 Tybee Ln Unit 4, Salem, MA 01970" height="427" src="https://ap.rdcpix.com/4f8ce4fd7a963b1624cb1a6e27d7f00el-m4026181948xd-w1020_h770_q80.jpg" width="640" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="1">*photo courtesy of realtor.com</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was contacted last week by a realtor trying to sell a condo. It had been on the market for five months with no offers so she was hoping I could stage this big living room/dining room combo. It still amazes me that prospective buyers can go into a space and not see what it <i>could</i> be, but I suppose if everyone could see then I'd be out of a job. </div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: left;">I apologize in advance for the poor quality of these photos, but I quickly snapped them with my phone before heading home. The room is huge and could fit an even larger table than the one I used, or this size table plus a banquet and shelves. It's a great space.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8AyOfkgahccSUdkoLISHA4X2uw7dT5NYveJ_MWsPskszzdGc5aK6DjQzDvVvQrhldEkw3dsHZQRaOHRQzLf0SsXhmgCofbijuSD3wTCQY4j3Og_uJFdrpRDz2TNRPnMqMPTeC3UtyquG/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8AyOfkgahccSUdkoLISHA4X2uw7dT5NYveJ_MWsPskszzdGc5aK6DjQzDvVvQrhldEkw3dsHZQRaOHRQzLf0SsXhmgCofbijuSD3wTCQY4j3Og_uJFdrpRDz2TNRPnMqMPTeC3UtyquG/w480-h640/IMG_3778.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The sliders lead out onto a huge deck that also connects to the kitchen and honestly, this space is big enough for a sectional. I think whoever put an offer in on the condo over the weekend is going to be hosting lots of family and friends simply because this room is perfect for it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7E6fRXYcZP_YyyAZ-5mU16YhoA_mhRDR4FMlCBW5WgnVb64FY03ys2vFa8DjYUIPzJMxjY8p_vd47xNVuIb0OlR9V4hGsJxa_auFCR575kez5C2r5DY6IniiNyI2k0QG0V3oKJ7L4kwzw/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7E6fRXYcZP_YyyAZ-5mU16YhoA_mhRDR4FMlCBW5WgnVb64FY03ys2vFa8DjYUIPzJMxjY8p_vd47xNVuIb0OlR9V4hGsJxa_auFCR575kez5C2r5DY6IniiNyI2k0QG0V3oKJ7L4kwzw/w480-h640/IMG_3786.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgHxpMMHnoQ7IHcSGrxbWZvhcKjAZEQRXaN8n5KnILdwL4wWJveOe0oL-bX9E8qFhZTN76EjjrHziHoX0YMxt_0OGsFnbHMFovedclQ0nYw7mv4Zku7q1D-hgeTT0xGfWuQdXk-Qznist/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgHxpMMHnoQ7IHcSGrxbWZvhcKjAZEQRXaN8n5KnILdwL4wWJveOe0oL-bX9E8qFhZTN76EjjrHziHoX0YMxt_0OGsFnbHMFovedclQ0nYw7mv4Zku7q1D-hgeTT0xGfWuQdXk-Qznist/w480-h640/IMG_3780.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Over the weekend they got an offer and I don't know if it was due to the decrease in price or the staging, or a combination of both, but I'm choosing to think it was because of the staging. I'm so glad the realtor reached out to me and that I was able to help.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">~ Stephanie</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-42007931938812200752020-05-01T08:00:00.001-04:002020-05-12T13:37:05.415-04:00The Maynard Cape: Kitchen Before and After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The kitchen. I had never seen a yellow kitchen before this house. I managed to snag a piece of the wallpaper and framed it, adding it to my collection from previous renovation houses. I demoed the kitchen primarily by myself on our first day. My dad claimed he was staying out of my way, but let's call a spade a spade. He was letting me do the heavy lifting. It's fine. It was a good workout for me.</div>
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Gosh, that kitchen was gross. And tight. We took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and immediately it opened up the space, brought in light, made it feel brand new.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_wEG0XvK2_giyZ5PW4iwlnwM7p7QxR3CU2K-QqyH1elZbT6x4mInwmMiyptOpTcPfHntPgJ7a19TimXCaBMPQyeL628HXMJwq5F3YEq1bi85dAVuVwU_vroQiQUqwI3Hl-G64Ay162pC/s1600/IMG_0077.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_wEG0XvK2_giyZ5PW4iwlnwM7p7QxR3CU2K-QqyH1elZbT6x4mInwmMiyptOpTcPfHntPgJ7a19TimXCaBMPQyeL628HXMJwq5F3YEq1bi85dAVuVwU_vroQiQUqwI3Hl-G64Ay162pC/s640/IMG_0077.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8Qq78isKytqiFyWZl__mix2Km-8VlRLOXOeBqst7oOikZLueZ-oJf4DLVouxWlsUCUY1e2eJf2JP5MiuOAWXKxnyUYE4e5gEOPRpMNDo24VTCUIsPBUjqVw3JFn7s-9veHKjyVmp4wEU/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8Qq78isKytqiFyWZl__mix2Km-8VlRLOXOeBqst7oOikZLueZ-oJf4DLVouxWlsUCUY1e2eJf2JP5MiuOAWXKxnyUYE4e5gEOPRpMNDo24VTCUIsPBUjqVw3JFn7s-9veHKjyVmp4wEU/s640/IMG_0186.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Before starting on this renovation I'd read that grey cabinets were "out" but I really wanted to do them in this house. I knew I wanted to go with a white color on the walls and white quartz countertops and I wanted something to contrast. Sure, maybe grey is not longer what the cool kids consider in, but I think it looks so classic in this space. I regret it not.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fPuUwQTTYknwXFaDHMnJ8laEiYuUYdnhXKmpAVw4H_OttSWVPIpYNmIJlG_1lVvToa0VIOJ2UWJ0WNlaoBGbxLJnGa24XGBUmba68jmkNMxdvp3BG-XzgqBxh_y_C7LhXklnO0oJKu2k/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fPuUwQTTYknwXFaDHMnJ8laEiYuUYdnhXKmpAVw4H_OttSWVPIpYNmIJlG_1lVvToa0VIOJ2UWJ0WNlaoBGbxLJnGa24XGBUmba68jmkNMxdvp3BG-XzgqBxh_y_C7LhXklnO0oJKu2k/s640/IMG_0071.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Little touches to notice: the shiplap on the back of the peninsula to match the living room wall, the glass panels in the corner cabinets, marble backsplash tile that we've used in previous kitchen renovations. When you find something you like working with that looks classic against any cabinet and countertop then why not keep using it. And unlike patterned tile, a classic marble backsplash will never go out of style. </div>
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So that's the kitchen and that's the Maynard house. I hope you enjoyed this renovation because we love the end result and hopefully a buyer will too.<br />
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~ Stephanie<br />
<br />~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8956363546624464164.post-62576825250977347392020-04-29T08:00:00.000-04:002020-04-29T08:00:01.759-04:00The Maynard Cape: Dining Room Before and After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I just want to preface that I have not altered these photos in any way. The dining really was that dark when we bought the house. The curtains, though sheer, did not help, it was separated from the kitchen by a wall, and again, the paint color. </div>
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The dining space was divided by this weird half-wall and we think they were using the farther section for laundry. We removed the half-wall and our plumber installed new radiators, shored up the headers, but really aside from paint and adding trim/chair rail/wainscoting, we didn't do a ton to change this room. And yet, it feels like it's changed quite a bit. You could easily fit a 12-person table in this space. Imagine the family gatherings that will be held here. I'm so jealous.</div>
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~ Stephanie~Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00606140752808469118noreply@blogger.com0