Back in Business...Bedroom Update

While the house hasn't exactly been on hold, the blog has.  I've been out of town for the majority of the past 3 weeks.  I was traveling with work for the Big 12 Championship, in Tulsa for the NCAA Regionals, San Antonio for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, and we all know how the Elite 8 game ended...and well, that ended my nonstop traveling!  It's sad that we won't be playing in Houston, and I'm definitely sad for our boys, but it is nice to not be living out of a suitcase in hotel rooms.  I will miss the warmer weather, but hopefully Kansas can bring a little of the warm weather back that we had a glimpse of earlier in March.  So, that is why the updates stopped for a little while.

Lots has happened since I last wrote, especially since yesterday (when a bulk of the new furniture was delivered).  I plan to do an overall update, but for now a few iPhone/quick bedroom pictures will have to do.

Ignore the Teddy bear, the wrinkled duvet cover and the overall ickiness of this iPhone picture, but we went with the Crate & Barrel bedding.  It's great in person (we had already seen it in store, but it's nice to see it against the wall color finally), and works well with the color scheme of the rest of the house.
So, while I was at work one day after we put the bedding down, I was randomly inspired to add yellow curtains and decided to do a quick (very quick) photoshop mockup of what yellow curtains would look like with the bedding.  Mind you, this is a picture from my phone, so I wasn't working with the best quality, but the mockup gave me a really good idea of what it would look like:

Pictures of the nightstands were used from the Crate & Barrel website, and the yellow curtains were used from here.  So, based on this, we decided to go for it and do the yellow curtains.

So, I ran by Hobby Lobby on the off chance they might have a fabric/color that would work.  I didn't have a fabric sample with me from the bedding - I like to live on the edge... :) - so I was kind of just going off of memory, and considering the bedding had only been in the house for a few hours, I was taking a big gamble.  I found a material, and decided on a color, bought some no sew hem tape a curtain rod, curtain ring clips and headed home.  Luckily, the color was exactly what I was picturing.  Not exactly the same color as the bedding, but it adds a little variation to the color scheme.

Tony hung up the curtain rod, and I made the curtains using the hem tape and an iron.  The fabric, if I remember correctly, was only 45" (or so) wide, and we were thinking something much wider than that, so I made 4 total panels (2 for each side).  The fabric was normally $6 and some change/yd, but was 30% off.  In all, the fabric and the hem tape was about $70.00, coming to about $17.50/panel...not too bad.  Here's what we had with the new curtains, 7 ring clips on each side and really wrinkly bedding with no furniture yet.



The sheer curtain we got for the middle is from Target and has a diamond print on it that is very subtle, but adds some interesting dimension.  You can find them here.  It says they are $7.99 a panel, but I thought mine were $4.99 a panel...not sure.

The white rugs on either side of the bed are from Target as well...we considered a big 8x10 rug for under the bed, and that actually was the route I was leaning towards, where as Tony wanted to be more money conscious.  So, when I saw these great 5x8 rugs on sale for under $10 each (I think they were $6.99 each but I'm not positive), I had to get them.  So, in true Annie fashion, I decided to be spontaneous and I got them knowing that Tony couldn't possibly be upset about the decision because I was saving so much money.  I was right :)

Detail of the sheer curtains from Target.
After looking at the yellow curtains the next day, I thought they seemed like they needed more ring clips to keep them from drooping so much.  However, I went to San Antonio for work the next day, so that had to wait a week.

When I got back, I still thought they needed more clips, so I purchased 2 more sets for a total of 14 per side, and it made a huge difference.

Back-tracking a little...the previous week, when I got to Tony's house from the trip to Tulsa, it had been almost a week since I had been in his house and walking in, I had a new perspective on everything.  That perspective was that a lot of furniture was still needed, and it kind of drove me bonkers...especially the bedroom.  So, I went straight to Crate & Barrel and (with Tony's permission) put in an order for all of the furniture we had been contemplating for the bedroom, and I threw in a few other purchases that were a last minute decision, and a surprise for Tony when everything arrived! :D  So, a few days after I got back from San Antonio was delivery day for the furniture.

After getting everything into place, it totally changes the room and makes it feel so much more put together.  It is definitely not done, but so much closer and maybe Tony won't throw his clothes everywhere anymore.  Wishful thinking, right?

I kind of under-estimated the size of the bedside tables in the mockup :)
Yes, the bed is VERY poorly made...sorry.  This is a view from the doorway.
And a view from the bathroom door.  Yup, that's the coverlet peeking out from the duvet.
Porto Nightstands  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto Cheval Mirror  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto Mirror  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto 4-Drawer Dresser  |  Crate&Barrel
Where the little wooden chair (and bear, which is another story) are now we are hoping to put a cream accent chair and some kind of art or something above it to balance out the window on the other side of the wall.  Something maybe like this from west elm...

porter upholstered armchair  |  west elm
View of the bathroom door and smaller window.
Porto 6-Drawer Dresser  |  Crate&Barrel
The wall with the 6 drawer dresser seems so massive and empty, and makes the 6-drawer dresser look small.  We plan to mount a television above the dresser, but I'm not quite sure what to do with the space on either side of it.  Also, we plan on putting some kind of storage bench at the foot of the bed now that we know there is definitely enough room, but haven't quite decided on that, either.

And here we have the wall of closets...not really sure what is going to end up happening here, but I'm kind of hoping we don't end up putting the sliding doors back up.  I really don't think curtains would look good on the whole wall, and I don't think Tony can keep his stuff clean enough to do no doors.  So, sliding doors may be the only option.  However, I am still on the look-out for other alternatives.  Right now, we have the sliding doors painted the trim color, so we'll have to see what that wall looks like being mostly white.  Who knows.
I just pulled up the file of walk through pictures to post the before picture of the master bedroom, and it kind of weirded me out seeing the house the way it was when Tony first bought it.  I forgot how much the house used to feel like someone else's and now it feels so much more like his.  Anyhow, here is the transformation to where we are at today (not finished, but definitely getting somewhere):










For me, it's kind of surreal to see the before and "progress" pictures...I know we've only made little changes, but they have made such a huge difference and have really made the house feel so different.  Off to bed...have a happy Thursday!

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Wainscoting/Beadboard

Every time I walk down the bedroom hallway, I feel like it's missing something.  Granted, we still have to put down the quarter round, but I just feel like it needs something more.  Maybe it just needs some picture frames, but I have this wild idea that wainscoting or something along those lines would look awesome in the hallway.


The hallways are Stonington Gray, which is very light, so if we used the Mascarpone on the beadboard it wouldn't be a huge difference, but enough to really class up the hallway.

Here's the best example I could find of beadboard with a simple molding that I think would work well in the hallway...

Image from Gathering Moss blog in this post.
I love the simplicity of the beadboard in this image, and it is exactly what I want in the hallway.  Not to mention, the colors are pretty spot on to what the colors would be in the hallway if the bead-board was added. 
There are lots of other things to worry about before the hallway, though...back to painting closets :)

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Bedding

Right now, I'm loving this bedding from Crate and Barrel (honestly, I'm not sure why I keep leaning towards Crate and Barrel lately...I've always preferred Pottery Barn over C&B, but for some reason I keep picking things from C&B)...


Marimekko Kude Bed Linens  |  Crate&Barrel

It's not too feminine or too masculine.  Green and yellow together can sometimes look too summery, but I think here it is a perfect match paired with the off white and the olivey green tones.  I think it would look great in the master bedroom with the Duxbury Gray walls that have a hint of green in them.

I really love the bedding when the yellow Nora coverlet is added like here:

Nora Coverlet  |  Crate&Barrel

And I am just in LOVE with this pillow from C&B as well.

Shasta 24"x16" Pillow  |  Crate&Barrel
Speaking of the wall color in the master bedroom...I just realized (as I sorted through my own pictures) I have never taken any pictures or posted anything other than an iPhone picture of it.  So, after a quick run to the other side of the house, here you go!

Walls: Benjamin Moore Duxbury Gray
Trim: Benjamin Moore Mascarpone
This looks just about the right shade...maybe it's a little greener in person...but pretty close to how this picture looks on my monitor.
Here is a mood board with a few of the pieces we are toying with for the master bedroom.

Walls: Benjamin Moore Duxbury Gray
Trim: Benjamin Moore Mascarpone
8x10 Festival Rug  |  Anthropologie
Marimekko Kude Bed Linens  |  Crate&Barrel
Nora Coverlet  |  Crate&Barrel
Shasta 24"x16" Pillow  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto Nightstand  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto Metal Bench  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto 6-Drawer Dresser  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto 4-Drawer Dresser  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto Cheval Mirror  |  Crate&Barrel
Porto Mirror  |  Crate&Barrel
Still not sure about the bed...he has a frame that came free with his new mattress and box spring.  Originally, we both though a complete bed would be best, but I'm starting to lean towards just a headboard, or even...no headboard at all?  I don't know if that is totally weird or what?  The bed is right under a wide, high window that is right where a headboard would be, so it kind of visually balances the area above the bed.  Not sure if it would be too comfortable for him, though.  Any thoughts?

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The Den (yes...still), and Rug Day!

I know it probably seems that the den is the only thing we are working on, but I promise it is not.  The other rooms are just seeing much less progress (mostly due to not being able to decide on furniture) and therefore, we have focused on rooms that have most of the pieces already.

A few weekends ago I posted a few quick iPhone pictures of my couch and tv stand that were delivered.  They were both pieces I absolutely loved and figured it was better to spend a little more on pieces I loved that spend a little less on pieces I didn't love...makes sense, right? :)

So, I eventually decided on the Silhouette Sofa from Crate and Barrel in Ceylon, a sort of mustard yellow.  I thought the yellow would really compliment the brick in the den and would add a pop of color.  We went with a total neutral sectional, so I figured taking a chance with the more formal sofa would be worth it.

Image from crateandbarrel.com

The other piece that was delivered with the sofa was kind of an impulse buy, but I absolutely don't regret it.  When I turned the corner at Crate and Barrel and saw the Garnet Cabinet, I just prayed that it was the right size for the area in the den where we wanted a small cabinet to place a small television on.  I love the detail on the front, and really love the quality and how solid it is.  It really is beautiful, and I could see it working well in lots of different situations, so I considered it more of an investment piece.

Image from crateandbarrel.com
Both pieces work great in the space, and I think I should be spontaneous more often.

Anyhow, the real point of this post is Rug Day...the day we were finally allowed to put down a rug on the hardwood floors after getting them refinished (has it really already been 3 weeks...wow).  I was so excited to bring my Pottery Barn Chain Link Rug upstairs and put it in the living room.  So, Tony lugged it upstairs and it sat in the living room for a little more than 24 hours.  It looked good in the living room, but I just love the rug so much, and didn't feel like I loved it as much anymore in the living room.

So, today I got home from work earlier than Tony.  I'm staying in Kansas City while I work the Big 12 Basketball Tournament that is taking place in KC MO, so my hours are a little weird right now.  So, I was home alone.  While sitting at the women's basketball game this morning I had a vision (seriously) of the rug in the den.  I just had to have the rug in the den, and I'm pretty sure if I would have asked Tony to help move the rug to the den he would have just told me that it looks good in the living room and we should leave it.  So, I had my window of opportunity, and while it was much more difficult to do it alone, I moved it to the den.  I knew once he saw it he would love it too, so I was excited for him to get home to see it.  Sure enough, he loved it as well and so the rug will stay in the den (for now at least).

So, here are a few pictures of the den...it is lacking a lot, and we still need the accent chairs (that's going to be a project very far down the road), a side table or two, something on the walls, curtains over that hideous sliding glass door (or better yet, replace the sliding glass door with french doors...but I have a feeling that will be a summer project), curtains over the window, pillow covers that actually match the decor (and not those sage green ones that are currently on the couch), and I'm sure there are a million things I'm not thinking of.  However, this is one of the most finished rooms so far and it is really nice to see a furnished room instead of tools and equipment and just junk in the den (like it was for the first few weeks...which I tried very hard not to document, but alas it made it into a few pictures)

The den on January 17th...this was actually before it became a total disaster zone, but you get the idea.
First a few before pictures...





Now for a few more current pictures...current, but definitely not complete (as the list above illustrates)

Wall Paint: Benjamin Moore-Stonington Gray
Trim Paint: Benjamin Moore-Mascarpone
Sofa: Silhouette Sofa, Crate and Barrel ($999)
Coffee Table: Included in contract and left from previous owner
TV Cabinet: Garnet Cabinet, Crate and Barrel ($599)
Rug: Pottery Barn, Chain Link Rug (from a previous season, link is only one I could find with more info) ($399)
Painting: Great Finds Consignment Shop ($25)
Buffet with Hutch (not pictured here): Brand is Sligh Furniture, my mom thinks it was purchased in the 50's or earlier. Passed down from my grandparents to my parents to me
Other misc. purchase: cabinet hardware, bookcase decorations
Ignore the little mess in the kitchen...the desk in the kitchen is now the hub for clean paint brushes, and I have no excuse for why my coat is flung over the kitchen chair.
In this angle you can see the buffet/hutch.  In this angle you can also see a handful of my camera bags on the left of it...and me in the reflection of the mirror...and the temporary spot for my iMac...yup...on the floor.  Not the most comfortable place to work from.
A detail shot of the Garnet Cabinet from Crate and Barrel.
Detail of the Pottery Barn Chain Link Rug.  It is a very dark Navy color.  I love the Nautical feel of it without being too blatantly nautical.
Detail of the Silhouette Sofa, Crate and Barrel 
Another detail of the Silhouette Sofa, Crate and Barrel 
A few fabric swatches up for consideration for pillows.  Not sure, but we're leaning towards either the red or navy stripes. I'm thinking navy, though.
Hopefully I will have some free time in the next week to post a few more things we have been doing.  Until then, happy Big 12 Tournament week :)

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