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Pantry Remodel Project Introduction

Pantry Remodel Project Introduction

We are kicking off a new project soon – a pantry remodel. It includes the area off of our kitchen where our powder room is located. If you’ve been here a while, you may recall that back when we did our kitchen remodel we shifted some things around to make room for a small mudroom and a wet bar. Well, things are changing…again!

Since we added a mudroom in the breezeway as part of the garage addition – and we’re eventually adding a wine room “speakeasy” – we no longer need our old mudroom and wet bar as they are. So here we are, moving some walls again, this time to create a larger pantry and a hallway to access the power room for added privacy.

Pantry Remodel Plan

Here is a before and after floor plan showing what we’re trying to achieve.

We are removing the wall that divides the old mudroom and pantry to make one large pantry. Then, we will eliminate the wet bar, create a hallway in between the pantry and powder room and move the powder room door from the outside to inside the hallway.… Read more

The Mudroom Wallpaper Contenders

The Mudroom Wallpaper Contenders

If you are following me on Instagram, then you know that we are approaching the finish line progress in the mudroom! The cabinetry and Millwork has been installed and the room has been painted. We ended up staining the tonge-and-groove ceiling and painting the rest. Now that it is painted and the ceiling is stained, I definitely think the drywall above the shiplap needs some wallpaper. So I’ve been mulling over many, many samples.

mudroom

I think some pattern will be great to break up the dark paint and the ceiling stain. I want a wallpaper that ties in the green but complements the brick and ceiling, too. I am loving organic, nature-inspired patterns for this space. Something with fruit or a floral is speaking to me. I have sampled so many good ones! Here are some of the top mudroom wallpaper contenders!

wallpaper roundup

  1. Jasper Indian Flower Brown
  2. Sandberg Maskrosen Spring Green
  3. Pomona Green/Orange
  4. Morris & Co Fruit Beige/Gold/Coral
  5. Pirum Pear Wallpaper Yellow
  6. Afton Block Print Mauve
  7. Scalamandre Ginkgo Green
  8. Scalamandre Raphael Green
  9. Pine Green
  10. Sigfrid Classic Blue
  11. Vinnie Sage Green
  12. Kersti Spring Green
  13. Aya Floral Green 
  14. Schumacher Saranda Flower 
  15. Cole & Son Orange Blossom Burnt Orange/Mint
  16. Ginseng Henny 

 

Do you have a favorite?… Read more

A Roundup of 12″ Brass Cabinet Pulls

A Roundup of 12″ Brass Cabinet Pulls

It’s time for the finishing touches in the mudroom, including cabinet hardware. I like to think of hardware as the jewelry of the room. It’s the finishing touch that adds that extra special touch. There are few rules when it comes to hardware and mixing of styles and finishes typically achieves the best look. Because I’m leaning into some British design vibes in the mudroom, I knew early on that I wanted to incorporate wood knobs, but that I wanted to mix them with some 12″ brass cabinet pulls. We have some small drawers under the cubbies that were perfect for the knobs but the cubby doors and the armoire doors and drawers are quite large and perfect for a long pull. After sampling an 8″ and a 12″, the 12″ was definitely more appropriate. I scoured the internet for my favorite 12″ brass pulls and narrowed it down to these two:

I like them both but preferred the one on the left. I felt that the polished brass looked better against the dark green cabinetry and the streamlined style and backplate juxtaposed the chunky millwork and trim in the space.… Read more

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Toddlers

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Toddlers

I love the idea of making every holiday special for Shiloh. It doesn’t have to be big, but just something to show them some love and change things up. This year for Valentine’s Day I am gifting her a gift basket with a few cute little Valentine’s gifts. I also love the idea of a holiday specific activity, like making homemade Valentines for her friends or preparing heart-shaped pasta for dinner. Celebrating the little moments is something I look forward to in my parenthood journey and I hope she looks back and remembers them fondly. Here are some cute, simple Valentine’s Day gift ideas for toddlers.

Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Toddlers

The Day it Rained Hearts Book / Heart Bracelet / Valentines PJs / Heart Tee / Glitter Heart Hair Pins / Acorn Basket / Love Bug Garland / Unicorn Doll / Heart Crocks / Love Grows Everywhere Book / Heart Sunnies / Fun Hair Clips / Pink Basket / Licorice / Sidewalk Chalk 

Shop the Post:… Read more

Our New Asphalt Driveway Process and Cost

Our New Asphalt Driveway Process and Cost

Finally! After 6 years of parking on the grass, tracking in dirt and grit, waiting until the day we could add a garage and construct an actual driveway, it’s finally here! Once the garage addition was complete, the first order of business was getting the driveway in order. Because of the length, we chose asphalt. Asphalt is less expensive than concrete but it requires a little more maintenance and doesn’t last quite as long. That said, it was the right choice for us. I actually like the way the black asphalt ties in with our house. Our main concern was how hot it would get underfoot but the majority of the driveway is shaded. So far, the heat hasn’t been an issue. Things may be different in the middle of summer. Anyway, here are the details and cost breakdown of our new asphalt driveway.

New Asphalt Driveway Process

Culvert Replacement

The first thing we had to do was replace the culvert. The old culvert was a narrow PVC pipe and had incurred some damage over the years. We had it replaced with a metal culvert and had them do concrete end caps so it looks nice and clean.… Read more

2023 Project Outlook

2023 Project Outlook

2022 was obviously the year of the garage addition! We broke ground back in March and have officially wrapped up construction. It has been great to have a garage to park our cars in, a paved driveway, and a bit of additional square footage. Talk about a game-changer for our house and everyday life! 2023 will be focused on finishing out the garage and the rooms we added in the breezeway – the mudroom, office, and wine room. Additionally, we have a couple of other major projects on the horizon!

What’s to Come in 2023

Windows!!

I spoke a lot about this on Instagram over the last several months but we finally committed to and ordered new windows through Pella. We officially ordered them back in October and they are projected to arrive in mid-February. It is going to be a game changer for our house because our existing windows are original and in ill repair. We chose black fiberglass windows with a streamlined profile. We are combining picture windows and casement windows and eliminating all of our existing double-hung windows.… Read more

Craft Paper Gift Wrap Ideas

Craft Paper Gift Wrap Ideas

Tis’ the season to wrap gifts! I love gift wrapping, it’s an art – it literally is an art in Japan. A beautifully wrapped gift makes the gift much sweeter, I think. While I love beautiful printed wrapping papers, I also love the simplicity of craft paper and its versatility. You have to see these craft paper gift wrap ideas. I used the same paper and dressed them up creating 3 completely different looks.

Craft Paper Gift Wrap Ideas: 3 Looks

Nostalgic

For my first look, I used craft paper and a large vintage-looking candy cane coupled with a cute Christmas green striped ribbon. I added a small sprig of faux greener with a gold ornament to top it off and this gift feels so nostalgic with the classic Christmas colors and stripes. The candy cane is such a cute touch.

Woodsy

For my next look, I wanted to lean into the brown color of the craft paper itself and give it a more masculine vibe. I chose a woodsy theme and used natural colors and elements like wood and worn leather.… Read more

Toddler Gift Ideas

Toddler Gift Ideas

I don’t always have it together when it comes to gifts but I feel like this year I nailed it! Shiloh is 2.5 so she definitely understands the concept of Christmas and gift-giving, but she hasn’t asked me for anything specific. This is probably the last year for that! I rounded up a few gifts I’m getting for Shiloh, a couple of things she has and loves and then I asked my toddler mamma friends what they’re getting the littles. So this is a pretty solid list with some great ideas for the little people in our lives.

Toddler Gift Ideas

 

toddler gift ideas

  1. Balance Bike – Balance bikes are bikes without wheels designed to give children the confidence to ride. They allow toddlers to learn to ride independently from the very start, without relying on training wheels.
  2. Kids Knives – Shiloh is always asking to help mamma in the kitchen when I’m making dinner and I think this is a great way to incorporate her into the process. I read that children involved in meal preparation eat better because they can respect and appreciate the process.
Read more
Mudroom Update and Cabinetry Design

Mudroom Update and Cabinetry Design

It’s been a few months since I shared the overall direction of the mudroom with you, and since then we’ve solidified a few things so it’s a good time for an update. The mudroom is the first area we’re working on in the additional square footage we added with our garage and breezeway addition. It is a long room connecting the garage to the kitchen and will serve as a drop zone and storage for shoes, bags…all the things.

Mudroom Update

Flooring & Lighting are in!

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, then you know we’ve come a long way since it looked like this.

The paint is done and we have a gorgeous brick basketweave floor. I am so happy with how it turned out! The grout color decision was a tricky one but ultimately we went with a gray tone called Sahara Beige rather than ivory for maintenance and upkeep.

Also, yay for lighting! I chose these cute semi-flush mount lights and they look great installed. At first, I had them centered on the room but didn’t take into account the door placement so Mike moved them to the right a bit.… Read more

Flowers and Butterflies Little Girls’ Room: Client Project

Flowers and Butterflies Little Girls’ Room: Client Project

I recently wrapped up a little girl’s room project with my long-time client-turned-friend. She just had baby #2 so in the last few months, I helped her design a big girl room for her 3-year-old so her baby brother could move into the nursery. Check out this flowers and butterflies little girls’ room.

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Little Girl’s Room Before & After

We started with a blank slate. The room was previously used as a guest bedroom. They cleared everything out to make way for the new bed which was the first piece to arrive. My client fell in love with the design of the bunkbed but I have to say, the quality is poor. I was afraid it may be after reading some reviews but she could not unsee it, and time was ticking so we needed to make sure there was something in place to allow her little girl to settle in before the baby arrived. The bunk bed is super cute but we are on the hunt for a better quality, fun bunk bed to replace it with.… Read more