Around the House

Hello friends! Crazy week around these parts. My husband is many things but handy he is NOT. Lucky for me I have an amazing handy man but because he’s so amazing he’s in high demand and difficult to pin down. At last he showed up this week and it was just a mad dash of to do lists. So I thought I’d share. My friend mentioned to me a few weeks back that they were having a load of jobs done in and around their house, from the garden being replanted to the roof being repaired by a company like www.carolinahomespecialists.com/areas-we-serve/winston-salem-nc/, so this finally encouraged me to get in touch with someone to help us finished off the little bits and bobs that needed sorting at our place. But let it be known, this is not standard protocol around my house. I’m worn out just reading this. 😉

We kicked it off with some new trim color in my powder room. I have a love hate with this room because its right off the main hall in the center of our house and that bugs the feng shui out of me. I feel like it should be tucked away off to the side somewhere, cause after all it is the loo. I dislike walking by or welcoming friends inside and seeing the la toilette as we make our way (I realize this is a tiny problem to have in life’s big picture but if we’re talking about design…). I’m training my little people to please shut the door when finished. Hah, yeah right. So since I’m not moving walls or ripping out sinks anytime soon, the least I can do is shed some new paint on the subject.

Here is a shot of it before with black trim and door in the reflection of the mirror. With black trim comes high maintenace, dust and overall doom and gloom for this lover of light. It was time.

And now with a light gray green trim (Ethereal Mood by Sherwin Williams). Doesn’t that look so much better?

 

And since we’re touring the water closet, my wallpaper is West Indies Toile in charcoal and cream by Brunschwig and Fils. Its very special to me because my mother in law played a role in its existence. Much more on her later. Fabulous woman. Fabulous designer.

And while we had that paint color out I decided to experiment on my kitchen cabinets. Sort of. I proceeded with caution and chose to paint the kitchen island as it was pretty dark and time for a change. Very happy with the result. Totally digging this color and just recommended it to a friend (they’re not clients, they’re friends ;-)).
 

Here is a shot of what it use to look like painted dark in Warwick Lodge by Ralph Lauren. This is the color of all my interior doors which by the way is a great way to add depth and dimension to your home while keeping unsightly dirt and fingerprints at bay. Who wants a bunch of dirty white doors? Go for it. You won’t be sorry.

While I’m in the kitchen I wanted to brag on my bar stools right quick.

 

I stole these at Pier One when they were on sale but didn’t care much for the pattern. I found this fabric on clearance and had slipcovers made. They have been doing me right ever since. They hide dirt and stains amazingly well for being so light and wash up great in the washing machine. I’ve always wanted to monogram them one through four on the back ala Heather Chadduck, the insanely talented stylist for Cottage Living and now Coastal Living (can you say girl crush?).
Photo via Cottage Living
I’ll investigate the monograms next week. Typically you want to have the fabric mongrammed before its cut to upholster because of the tendency to pull and stretch the fabric. Stay tuned for that.Next on the list was my experiment with high gloss on the ceilings. This ceiling needed a touch up as I had added some can lights awhile back (easy to do on the second floor, not so easy to do on the first) and its a safe play being the upstairs hallway. Verdict still out on this one. I think the result would have been much better had we sprayed so lesson learned for next time. I will say I love the reflection of light it gives off (shocker). If only my money tree would just bloom already I could finally put some hardwoods up here and have double the reflections. Ahh well.

You’re probably wondering where in the world i got the idea to paint the ceilings in high gloss? Take a look at this picture from House Beautiful. No longer does it look like just a plain ole ceiling. It’s now a conversation. High gloss can be ultra chic but you have to have THE perfect walls and ceiling for it. No imperfections at all.
Photo via House Beautiful

Next up converting these five shudders I found in the attic of my old house (score!) into a screen.

 

These guys have been everywhere. Hanging on the walls in the living room, dining room, upstairs hall. I daydreamed about using them as a screen behind the tub in front of a big picture window when we were desinging our next house but the market crashed, or corrected itself, and decided best to stay put and be grateful for the here and now. But I could still make em into a screen and that’s what I did.

Not sure where they’ll end up and I’d like a fresh coat of paint and wax on them but that’s for another day Scarlett. All of the above and the windows washed, roof leak repaired – we got Dominion Roofing on the job – and oh my goodness I almost forgot, my new backdoor. Well not really, its been sitting in my garage since 2010 but like I said my handyman is hard to pin down. Getting the leak fixed on the roof was, of course, a priority but it’s not a job we would have attempted ourselves as there was too much riding on it being fixed. If you need roofing services yourself, a roofing Loveand company might be worth contacting. It is important to get any problems with your roofing sorted straight away because leaks can caused structural damage and holes could lead to an animal infestation problem. North face Construction LLC are one good service to use if you are in the Minneapolis area (Check Out Their Service Here) but there should be a lot of reputible services around your area to fix any issues to do with your roofing.

 
 

Loving life that my mud room is no longer a cave and I can see who is at the door.

Couple other items of interest, this little number I picked up for $70 at my favorite antique store, The Queen of Hearts, in Alpharetta. Isn’t she gorgeous in her green and gold? Hah, not! She’ll make a great before and after desk for my daughter. Keep you posted on that.

And lastly remember my favorite little etsy shop I mentioned? Well this showed up in the mail this week.

 

A vintage set of dominoes. You’re probably wondering what in the heck is she going to do with those? Not a thing. They are for my son. Its the first thing he plays with after every Sunday school lesson so I set out to find some from Santa this past Christmas but he said all the ones in the store were crap (pardon the tone). So I did the hip and green thing and purchased these on etsy for $14. They’re wood and made in America. Can’t beat that.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s post and have a fabulous weekend! Have any exciting plans or projects? I’ll be trying Persian food for the first time tonight and hitting the Scott’s Antique Show today. I can’t wait to give you a full report of this world famous show right here in my own Atlanta backyard and share with you all the beautiful things on display.xoxo, Jenny from The Rock

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7 comments

  6. your powder room paper looks so much like mine – cowtan tout chinese toile. i love yours! and i love your back door – that is soooo cute!!! i thought it was from a magazine. your house is so cute!

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