DIY

Front Door Dilemma

| The Bee Life

Ever since I realized I was able to paint our beautiful original front door … I say realize because the inside is still original but for whatever reason the previous homeowners decided to paint the outside facing 100-year old door! And because of that, I now have had the ongoing dilemma on what color to paint this door.  We have a neutral colored house (tan with off white trim), so I feel like we have a pretty wide range of options… which also makes the decision much harder.

So beyond going on Pinterest for inspiration, I used the Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap app to look at a range of colors that I’ve been gravitating too. Finding the right shade of whatever color we end up choosing is important, and ColorSnap allows an ease of browsing along with saving the color swatch right on my phone!

The Color

I have looked at a few fun colors too, like a bright orange, or even a deep purple.  But I think going with something more practical.  But just when I think I am leaning towards one color over the other I change my mind.  I think I am just going to have to go for it!

Help! Any suggestions? Advice?

Thanks in advance,

House Hunters – Attic Retreat

| The Bee Life

One of the things that we loved about our house was the attic.  Especially after we had seen a dozen or so homes with not so great attics and just as bad basements.  In our city, 100 year old homes are the standard, no cookie cutter houses here, but with that when you find a gem you have to move quickly… unless pure fate is on your side. So when we saw our bright open, massive attic space we instantly had dreams of making it our master… our own retreat.

Beyond just the furniture which we have some loose ideas around, as seen in my previous post House Hunters – Bedroom Retreat.  One of our larger projects was to raise the roof! Not literally but we wanted to raise the ceiling.  Having a 6’6″ boyfriend with a 6’7″ clearance… doesn’t leave a lot of head room. hehe. So this past week and weekend, we have been removing the ceiling and all of the insulation to see what was up there.  We were able to gain 6-inches of clearance, which is better than having B’s hair brush against the ceiling. Some electrical needs to be reworked and we need to figure out insulation. From there it’ll be drywall and finishing touches.

I can’t wait until it gets finished, I’m so excited for my walk-in closet (which I am sure I’ll end up sharing with B, because I’m too nice). The second thing I am most exited about it is getting a king sized bed. Surprisingly (or not) we don’t even have a queen size for as tall as B is. Beyond those things; the ideas are endless with finishing touches and organizational ways to fit within the attic space. Here are some ideas we’re hoping to replicate:

Banister for an open look: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/an-eclectic-and-cool-south-aus-138993#_
More storage options for sloped ceilings: http://www.andreagary.com/photo-gallery.html
Optimal Closet Space: http://designingmainstreet.com/tag/sloped-ceiling/
Hidden Storage: http://thehousediaries.com/blog/2015/1/7/jan-7-big-bedroom
Awesome ceiling detail: http://www.decoist.com/2014-07-08/slanted-ceilings-design-ideas/

Can’t wait to show off the finished photos, although I’m thinking this is going to take some time! I know our goal is to get most of this complete by the winter!

Transformation Tuesday no. 8

| The Bee Life

This past week, B and I did a quick and easy DIY makeover – this has been in the works for a few years now.  B had these sort of hideous black shiny dressers with golden knobs.  Although not that pretty, super functional and great to have. So we finally refinished and painted them!  The knobs got updated too, the cheapest route – because if any of you know knobs/light covers, etc. are the most expensive items that add up quickly!  If we wanted to replace all of the knobs it could cost almost $200 (on the high-end)… not the point of an easy, inexpensive DIY.

We grabbed some spray paint and started sanding to get as much of the shine off as possible.  The sanding was probably the hardest part – B tackled this like a champ.  I was the go-to spray painter – after two coats they were good to go! Not only are they more our style, but they open up our room so much more, we no longer have these glaring shiney black pieces staring at us! I bought a table runner to place on top so that our TV and items won’t mess up the new paint.

It was such an easy, and relatively inexpensive update, we are both so happy with the way it turned out.

House Hunters – Kitchen

| The Bee Life

Our kitchen is terrible.  It has a horrible layout, no counter or cabinet space not to mention it’s dated. We’ve been able to improve it some since we first saw the house, but it’s still nothing that it could be. Although when we remodel, it’s going to be a complete gut, moving walls and extending out the house. It’s not going to be cheap or quick.

We helped the layout drastically by moving the fridge to it’s current spot, it was where the green bar was, making it a tight squeeze. But as you can see it’s not very functional or pretty.  Our dream is to blow out where the exterior door is to square out the current galley part – from there the possibilities are endless – maybe even blowing out the wall between the kitchen and dining room (where the current green bar is)… I can just hear the dollar signs right now!

Here is some inspiration for the future, all white is a dream with lots of light and some accents of blues or teals.

http://www.beneathmyheart.net/2012/10/favorite-pins-friday-19/
https://www.subwaytileoutlet.com/products/Vapor-Arabesque-Glass-Tile.html#.ValzM_lcD-V

I am sure our kitchen won’t be remodeled for a few more years, but it’s definitely on the wish list as far as big ticket items. My parents just remodeled their kitchen after living in their house for 30+ years! It’s funny because the first time we looked at this house B wasn’t phased by the kitchen, he just loved this house and the first thing I pointed out was the terrible kitchen! Since then it’s become quite the opposite conversation…. maybe we will get lucky and get on a DIY kitchen makeover show.

TGIF!

House Hunters – Bathroom Retreat

| The Bee Life

Bathroom’s are always something to marvel over, they’re second best to the kitchen when it comes to a top-selling point for a house.  Well for B and I the kitchen and bathroom’s could both use a good overall.  Although I don’t see the bathroom being for awhile, as it’s a big space and functional, all the upgrades found be purely for our own reasons, not because anything is broken, which I guess isn’t necessarily a bad thing. *smiles*

We have a ‘claw foot’ tub (without the claw feet) and I love it, however I am thinking if we ever remodel our bathroom, we would ditch the claw foot and do a stand-up shower. We would gain so much more space for a vanity. But then people argue, that the resale value on the house is lower because people want bathtubs (especially families)… I feel like it’s a lose-lose regardless, just do what we want, right?

Here is the wishlist:

  • White subway tiles
  • Double vanity or an extended counter
  • Larger mirror
  • Accents of color with flooring or tile work
  • Lots of shower heads
  • Chandelier light fixture
  • Stand-up shower and claw-foot tub

Some inspiration…

http://www.houseofturquoise.com/2014/09/casabella-home-furnishings-and-interiors_5.html
http://houseandhome.com/design/photo-gallery-jillian-harriss-vintage-inspired-style?page=8
http://jensawesomeworld.tumblr.com/post/66268620778
http://www.bhg.com/bathroom/color-schemes/colors/bathroom-color-ideas/#page=3

I think our kitchen remodel will come first before the bathroom, but you never know! We might just go crazy and tackle everything at once one of these days. This bathroom certainly won’t be a DIY project… maybe parts but not all. Until then I will be looking at lots of pretty pictures building and dreaming of our future bathroom.

Transformation Tuesday no. 7

| The Bee Life

A little over a month ago, I was brainstorming some ideas for our empty, yellow and brown sun room. Well we ended up going in a completely different direction, but I absolutely love it. We ended up painting the room white, and adding some base and crown molding to give it more of a finished look.  Since we got new furniture, the big debate was what to do with our old leather couch and our super comfy, yet not so cute recliner. Solution? The sun room! Not to mention I had some fun colorful pillows that just didn’t go with our new furniture – B had the brilliant idea of re-purposing in this new space.

One of my favorite parts is the curtains, we used PVC pipe and little hooks to make the curtain rod, it goes around the entire window frame, it was super inexpensive and all custom. I also love our Jackson Hole pictures topping off and making this a true retreat. I love all of the color and patterns, I realize it’s not everyone’s taste but I love to mix it up and have some fun.

Summer Party Ideas

| The Bee Life

I love parties. I especially love planning and hosting parties. Although I don’t feel I have all the means to pull off my ideal party, because when it comes to planning I’m All-Out Emily. And as much as I like to make items, and use things in clever ways – money is usually a factor. And, for me it goes down to every little detail, from the napkins to the lighting, from the invitations to the music. But money  usually doesn’t stop me.

We are planning an upcoming house warming party, I know a little late, but I wanted it to be warm! Bad joke? It is also our houses 100th birthday this year, so I am calling it our Centennial Party…because I love a good theme.

To get some inspiration I went to my favorite place and pulled some ideas that I hope to incorporate and adapt.

Hope to share some of my finishing touches and pictures from our upcoming party!

Until then,

Last Minute Easter Prep

| The Bee Life

Now that we have 3x the space and 3x the doors, our space hasn’t been as Eastery as I would hope, with it only being 2-days away.  I recognized that this will take some time to figure out the perfect pieces for our spaces, but I also love decorating, especially for holidays! Easter is the ideal segue to spring so it’s a perfect time to pull in a mix of the two.

Here are some Easter/Spring essentials:

1. Front Door – DIY vs. Store

DIY – This tulip wreath is a perfect DIY opportunity (look for a future post!) Not to mention it allows for flexibility in choosing your own wreath size and tulip color based on your preference and house, and it can stay up before, during, and after Easter!

Store – Target (and many other stores) have these beautiful egg wreaths.  They’re chic and simple and I love this as an option.

2. Centerpiece – Mine vs. DIY

Mine – This is my first attempt at an Easter centerpiece working with what I have.  The tall tea light holders are my current year-round piece, along with the black place mats, although I would love to find the perfect ones with some color! The bunny was a gift from my “future” mother-in-law, which added the perfect touch. All of these pieces (minus the bunny and place mats) were purchased at the Dollar Store; $9 for this look!

DIY – I love this DIY option because it brings in the perfect mix of spring and Easter.  The fresh flowers give this dimension and life, simply switch out the eggs for more flowers or just more “grass” and you have a piece that can stay-up after the holiday.

3. Mantle – Dream vs. Reality

Dream – I LOVE this mantle, and wreath’s over mantles – especially for Christmas.  Sadly this is not an option. B and his 55-inch TV won the battle over the mantle. So while I have some options on the sides and under the TV, it can’t be as dramatic as I would like.

Reality – We have a 55-inch TV over our mantle. So I switch out small pieces and add in elements of the current season or holiday when and where I can.  My picture frames and the lights are a current fixture (along with the TV) – so I am sure this will change a million times over throughout the year.

What are your Easter/Spring holiday essentials?

Happy Easter!

Transformation Tuesday no. 5

| The Bee Life

Another Tuesday, another Transformation.  Our bathroom has come a long way since it was initially revealed in TT no. 2.  Small fixes along they way have been made like a new faucet, a new mirror and finally our open closet shelving.  The closet in the bathroom was sort of an odd ball, but had so much potential.  We opted to keep it without a door but wanted to spruce it up by adding some open-concept shelving.

Before
It was just an open space with a few hooks, and horrible pastel blue color, just wasted space.

After
A pop of color was needed to add some contrast with the white shelving and accents. My glass holders are recycled from Bath and Body Works candles, a little soaking and scrubbing and they’re perfect for cotton swabs, Q-tips, and other necessities! Baskets were newly purchased from Target, to continue with the clean white accents, a few more are needed for various things and new white towels will be a future purchase too! I love that everything is in one place, a one-stop shop and organized – it’s perfect for me and B, and guests!

Our next project in the bathroom will be getting rid of the horrid flooring and tile on the walls! I need some white subway tile in my life.