Home Decor Archives - Page 3 of 3

Confessions of a New Homeowner Part 2: Updates on The New House

July 31, 2015 by Angie 3 Comments

You may have caught my first round of new homeowner confessions when I was freaking out. That was exactly two weeks ago after just getting the keys to my new home and being able access it for the first time. A TON has happened since then, and I’ve had a LOT of help.

Confessions of a New Homeowner Part 2: Updates on The New House

I confess… The previous homeowners left the place in quite a state. That’s one of the reasons I was freaking out when I first got the keys and was able to get in there. There were giant holes in the walls, the place smelled like sour meat, they didn’t leave the portable A/C they were required to leave, the door was hanging wide open (they didn’t lock it at all), and there was a giant pile of crap they’d left me in the back yard. They’d also almost completely killed the grass in the back yard between the time I looked at the home and the time I gained access. I pretty much hate them, and each project has me cursing their names. What jerks.

I confess… I’ve grown too weary of chasing down my realtor to see about the A/C unit. I’m just giving up I think… Though part of me feels like I should call the cops or something, since they were required to leave it and the fact that they took it should count as theft. I’ll admit that I don’t really need it now (I’ve forked over the money to buy an A/C for myself because it’s hot and I couldn’t wait!) but that I’d like to get them simply out of principle.

Hampton Bay 1-Light Outdoor Black Wall Light

I confess… One of the first things I did at my new place was start thinking about all the updates I had to do, and one of the first ones I did was porch lights. They had an old ugly motion detector light on the front, and a hole with wires hanging out the back… These little lights I got at Home Depot for about $16 each, so I felt like it wasn’t a terrible investment-and they add a lot of character. So the Sunday after I gained access to the house my dad stopped by on his way out of town (for work) and helped me install a couple new lights, and also my new A/C. He also helped me fix the front door so it would lock properly. My dad is so great.

I confess… He’s working six-twelves right now, but he said as soon as he’s done with this job he’ll come down and help me install some new flooring. They self-installed some laminate in the kitchen and did a terrible job-there are giant gaps in between boards, the boards aren’t secured so they slide around, and they never water-proofed or protected the flooring against water damage.

Shayla sanding down spackle while the dogs keep her company.

I confess… My mom and my sister have been amazing. Not only did they rush down when I was freaking out to make me feel better, but they then came down again the following Sunday night to help me start making the place liveable. They slept on the floor of my new house with me for two nights while we painted, primed, scraped, patched, and fixed the place up. Plus we had puppy helpers. So cute!

I confess… I didn’t get enough before shots, but I did get a few. I wish I’d gotten more and taken them with my good camera so you could see just how bad some things were. These people didn’t really take care of the place at all. It looks like they tried to do some fixes on their own, but every fix they did was done really poorly.

I confess… It’s amazing how much a coat of paint can change a room. This house is tiny with a cottage/bungalow feel, but I don’t know how they survived with ugly stark white walls over their ten years there. It had no character. Maybe they were just cheap-I had no idea how much paint cost-it was so expensive! Above is a few shots of the living room.

Living Room After - Sherwin Williams Sea Salt on the walls with Snowbound on the trim.

I confess… I went with Sherwin Williams Sea Salt for the walls on the living room, and the two-tone look with the molding in Sherwin Williams Snowbound. I’m in love with it. It makes the room feel ENTIRELY different.

I confess… It was SO difficult to paint over where the stairs are. In the middle of painting we called my grandfather to ask if he had a tall ladder we could borrow and he rushed over with one so we could reach some awkward spaces. It still didn’t help with some of the spaces, so he built some makeshift scaffolding over the space so we could stand on it or put things on it.

I confess… The scaffolding had about a foot on one side where it rested, but only about two inches on the other… When that shifts and you have a giant bucket of paint sitting on the wood-bad things happen. My sister accidentally dropped an entire bowl of paint down my stairs!

I confess… The painting of my stair carpet resulted in a lot of tears. All three of us were going on very little sleep, so my sister was bawling because she felt bad and I was bawling because I couldn’t afford to replace the carpet that was now painted white. Luckily my mom kept a cool head and after an hour of scrubbing with hot soapy water and running the carpet cleaner over it, we managed to get most of it out.

Painting the kitchen with Behr Planetary Silver and stripping the old paint off cupboard hinges.

I confess… For the kitchen I chose Behr Planetary Silver. I don’t know what inspired me to go with a grey, but I sure love the two-toned look with the silver-grey and the Snowbound trim. I still have a lot to paint in the kitchen. I also bought some pretty grey and white chevron style non-slip cupboard liners that I’ll be able to put in when I finish all the painting.

I confess… The kitchen cabinets are kind of weird. Over the sink there are the original built-in solid wood cabinets that probably came with the house in the 1950s, but somewhere along the line they’ve replaced the cabinets along the wall and under the sink with a cheaper version. The replaced cabinets all have newer hinges on them, but the original ones had the original hinges with about 60 years worth of paint over it… It took two whole days to get the hinges off so we could paint. They’d been painted over so many times that I had to buy a paint stripper, apply it, let it sit 15 minutes before scraping whatever I could get off, and then repeat-for two days. I did finally get them off, and am currently in the process of painting them and getting new hardware for them.

I confess… In the kitchen there was a random hole in the ceiling that the previous owners had literally stuffed with plastic grocery sacks. Just, what? What is wrong with these people? I pulled the grocery sacks out and a bunch of heat rushed down. We imagine that they must have used the hole to put in insulation in part of the attic space, but then been way too lazy to fix it-they just tried to plug it up so that the heat stayed in. Above you’ll see how they had it on the left, and on the right how I started fixing it.

I confess… I’m learning how to patch walls like a pro. We bought mesh panels and mesh tape, and a giant tub of Joint Compound and I have patched so many holes and cracks in the walls/ceilings that it’s crazy. But it makes such a difference!

Fixing the hole between the door frame and the wall with Joint Compound.

I confess… One thing I was aware of from the moment I put in the offer was the jagged hole between the wall and door frame in the bedroom. This door separates the bedroom from the downstairs bathroom (worst bathroom ever) and it appears as if they’d cut their own door frame. It was all jagged and wavy, and they’d just left the whole there without doing anything to patch it. So my momma helped me nail in a new board that was missing from the frame, and we broke out the joint compound and we started patching the door up. It’s dried kind of cracking, so I think I need to sand it down and put another layer on it.

I confess… The bedroom walls were bad too. There was paint peeling everywhere (it appears they’d painted directly over drywall without primer or anything) and the molding along the one wall was damaged. I pried up the molding and voila, found a small piece of mold. We cut the moldy section of the wall out and tossed the old molding there. We also spent hours hand scraping the peeling paint off the walls.

Bedroom painted with Sherwin Williams Refresh on the walls and Snowbound for the trim.

I confess… My mom and sister seriously are the best family anyone could ask for. They both had Monday off, and even though I had to work they went to my house and painted my bedroom! I came home to an almost complete painting job that has saved me SO much time!

I confess… I originally bought Sherwin Williams Refresh to use to update the accents in the kitchen (which are already a similar-but darker-color) and ended up hating it in the Kitchen. So I was glad that when it was done in the bedroom I LOVED it there. I’d hate to waste paint or be stuck with a color I hate. It looked great with the Snowbound trim/accents as well.

Shayla painting the downstairs bathroom white, and getting covered in paint.

I confess… In an effort to make me hate my downstairs bathroom less, (it looked like this originally) my mom and sister helped me paint it mostly white. It’s going to need an entire overhall at some point… It’s the most bizarre thing. The main drain is up in the wall, so they’ve installed a pump in the floor and have pipes and wires running everywhere. I think that it’s because of all the pipes and wires and the pump that they built the weird platforms and fake walls to hide it… Except they didn’t do a great job at that either-they made sliding cupboard doors that are uneven and terrible, and the platforms kind of slide around. They didn’t even have the shower secured into the wall, it can move around… But making it white helps a little.

I confess… My baby sister is pretty much the smaller, blonder, more adorable version of me. Isn’t she cute?

I confess… I am becoming extremely handy. I’m learning how to do so many things on my own, including patching walls and hooking things up. I’m also going to make an attempt to change my headlight on my car this weekend (I’m too house poor to take my car in lol) and I need to switch out a few electrical outlets that my dad explained how to do. I am woman, hear me roar.

I confess… I still have SO much more to do before the house is actually liveable… I mean I’m currently bunkered down in the one room of the house that’s mostly done (the living room) with my couches, TV, boxes/bags piled everywhere, and my mattress on the floor. It’s crazy! Also, about 90% of everything I own is locked in the garage currently-it’s been crazy.

Here is my upcoming home improvement to-do list, at least those things I know of off the top of my head so far.

Finish painting cupboards and around them.
Hang cupboard doors.
Place liner in cupboards.

Finish patching the holes and painting the walls in the kitchen.
Figure out the kitchen table situation-my table is too big for the kitchen. lol
Re-caulk around the sink.
Figure out if I want to keep the accent color in the kitchen.
- If yes, touch it up/repaint it.
- If no, figure out what color to paint it instead.

Backsplash behind the stove-my mom pulled down their ghetto tin foil that they’d pasted up against the wall and painted instead.

Repaint the monstrosity that is the yellow bathroom with red accents…
Clean up their caulking mess in the said bathroom.
Replace the faucet because it doesn’t actually reach the sink properly.
Eventually I also need to figure out why the jets in the bathtub don’t work…

Finish painting my bedroom.
Spray for bugs-there are SO many spiders!
Figure out how to hook up the washer and dryer properly.
Unpack at least my clothing.
Figure out what to do with the closet (which looks like this).
Figure out what to do with the ugly downstairs bathroom.
Replace the counters because they are cracked and broken.
Paint the hallway.
Find curtains for the living room and the bedroom.
Try and bring my poor yard back to life.

Whew, I’ve got a lot of work cut out for me.

Linking up with:

Angie

Angie is a coffee-fueled writer, artist-wanna-be, and over-worker who currently resides in a tiny fixer-upper near Salt Lake City with her boyfriend and 70lb rescue pittie. She works full time in Customer Service/Computers, part-time in retail and fashion, goes to school part-time on and off, maintains this and another couple of blogs, as well as volunteers with rescue dogs. In her free time, what little of it there is, she likes to read, play nerd games, craft and create art, and spend time with all of the awesome people in her life.

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

House Warming Gift Ideas: What to Get a New Home Owner

June 9, 2015 by Angie 61 Comments

It seems like just about everyone is out there looking for a new house. Whether they’re shopping for their very first home, or upgrading to something with new space, the market is filled with buyers. Personally, I know at least ten people looking for a house right now or closing on something they’ve already found-it just seems like the time everyone wants to buy!

More people buying houses and moving, means more house warming parties coming up. House warming gifts can be a tricky thing to shop for, and sometimes you just can’t come up with an idea for something they’ll really like. You also don’t want to overstep your bounds.

When shopping for a house warming gift, it’s best to avoid things that make an entire decor scheme a certain way. You should avoid things like paint, rugs, furniture, window treatments, etc. When someone is decorating their home these are the type of things they’ll want to pick out and match to their taste, and picking something for them could be insulting if you don’t know exactly what they want. It’s better to go with something they can easily incorporate somewhere-without feeling like you’re trying to lead them in an entire direction for decor. Luckily, I have some other ideas for you.All images below are available for purchase. Click on the images to go to the Etsy listing and support a handmade artist.

Fruit Fly Pie: Ceramic Pig Planter Vintage Design in Navy Blue Succulent

HousePlants4U: PEACE LILY - SPATHIPHYLLUM Houseplant

Special Green: Live 3 Style Lucky Bamboo Plant Arrangement w/ Piano Paint Black Ceramic Pot

Gypsy Raku: Live Moss Terrarium with tiny raku fired ceramic houses and mushrooms

House Plants. House plants make for an almost perfect house warming gift. They can go with any kind of decor, they help purify the air in a home, and you can get varying plants ranging in difficulty of maintenance. For example, if you get a Pothos Houseplant they’re very easy to keep alive and they require very minimal lighting. Same with Bamboo or most succulents. You can also get cute pots or planters to go with the plants and make it even more giftable. For something different, try gifting a pretty terrarium. You can even make your own DIY Terrarium for an added touch on a meaningful gift.

Made in Neverland: Custom family name sign

The Cutting Board Shop: Dreamcatcher Cutting Board Personalized

Chatty House: Self Inking Address Stamp COTTAGE HOUSE Design

Pinecone Home: Personalized Keyholder Block Name and Address

Wood Designers: Classic House Number Engraved Plaque

Go Personalized. Personalized gifts are the best. It’s something they can always treasure and it has a lot of meaning and often times usefulness. For example, a personalized cutting board can be used in the kitchen or displayed. A self-inking personalized stamp is useful for their mailing in the future, and who wouldn’t like a personalized piece of art or a plaque? So cute and so sweet. Also, the sheer awesomeness of a personalized hammer-you just know they’re going to need a hammer for their new home!

You could go the extra mile and even get a personalized doodle of their new home done for them.

Dessin Creations: WINE Bottle Cheese Tray

Clay Swan: hand built porcelain salt and pepper cellars sitting on a tray

KB Originals Etc: Cookie Jar Canister Storage Lidded storage

Think Kitchen. The kitchen is probably one of the rooms that will most need updates for when moving into a new place. They may have had less things in the old space, they may just have old things that should probably be retired or thrown away. You can usually not go wrong with something fun for the kitchen, especially if it’s more unique. Try a personalized rolling pin, wine bottle cheese tray, or something typical like cannisters or salt and pepper shakers. Super cute, and super useful.

Keep it Cozy. Things that make a home feel more cozy are always welcome! Throw pillows with neutral colors (so they don’t clash with their current design) and inspirational sayings are a great idea. You can also go for an afghan or blanket of any color (though knowing their favorites are better) because those things can be put in closets when not in use and thus don’t bother the decor, but are loved and useful. Also, scents like wax melts and candles are always welcome in most homes-so pick up something that will make their home smell like clean linen or fresh cookies when they burn it.

Be Unique. If you know this person well, something unique can go a long way. How about a cute birdhouse in the shape of a trailer to commemorate their first/new yard? A book shelf shaped like a house ads a cute accessory to any room they want to put it in. Wall decals? Well that will definitely help keep them from suffering from blank walls, and they can basically do what they will with it. Or if you’d rather, something seasonal like an ornament honoring their first home, is a great gift too.

If all else fails, you can show up to most house warming parties with wine and they’ll be perfectly happy with you. You could even take it one step further and get a custom wine label to add to the bottle.

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

3 Ways to Make Your Home EVEN BETTER

May 27, 2015 by Angie 9 Comments

You’ve got the Shangri-La of semi-detached homes. Your living room is bathed in the kind of terracotta hue usually reserved for sultan’s palaces. Your bedroom has more finery than a shop made of silk. And you own enough luxury items to make a gameshow jealous.

But there’s still something missing from your home. There’s still a little bit more potential you could wring out of those bricks and mortar before your masterpiece is complete.

If you can’t quite put your finger on what those improvements might be, try a few of these.

Orangery is the new conservatory

The conservatory has forever been a middle class dream. A quick wander through any suburbia will show you that. But they’re not the only option for your home. For a unique look to your home, why not invest in an orangery? Orangery styles vary from home to home but you can guarantee that any style you choose will be pretty snazzy.

But what is an orangery? Essentially it’s a conservatory that will give you a more enclosed feeling, allowing you to lounge in privacy.

What’s more, this simple addition could add thousands of pounds to the value of your home. So nab one today.

Alter that attic

Until you convert your attic, it’s little more than a creepy empty space between your rooms and roof. It’s probably covered in dusty boxes. One or two of those boxes might contain a horrible looking doll. Who knows when that doll will attack! Basically, your unconverted attic is a horror movie waiting to happen.

But if you convert that attic into another room, you’ll have extra space, added value to your house price and more insulation.

You can do whatever you like with your attic – just don’t make it pure horror show.

Find your focus

Focal points are ace ideas for every room in your home, drawing the eye and giving your space a centre that’ll complement everything else.

What will constitute an ace focal point depends on which room you’re refurbishing. Your living room could do with a cool ornament or coffee table, your hall might suit a classy bookcase and your garden might require a stunning water feature.

It’s a fine balancing act between finding something that’ll catch the eye and plopping something garish in your home, but that’s a part of the fun. Experiment with different styles and furnishings , and find a great centre for your home. It’ll finally make it complete.

This post was written by John Paul in line with my disclosure policy.

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

15 DIY Kitchen Projects I’m Dying to Try In My New Home

April 9, 2015 by Angie 38 Comments

Many of you may know by now that I’m am UNDER CONTRACT (whoa) for a house right now. It’s a cute little starter home, meaning I recognize that I’m not going to live there for the rest of my life but instead make it work right now, and it has a tiny little kitchen. The kitchen is pretty, but very very small and there is no pantry…

UPDATE: I am not longer getting that house, but these tips are still ones I want to try when I find one!

So while I can’t start on anything yet (you aren’t supposed to spend money while under contract plus I don’t have keys yet so I can’t get measurements) I’ve already begun pinning projects to help with small kitchens. For some reason all the pinning is actually easing my stress levels-probably because I’m just getting so excited!

15 DIY Kitchen Projects I'm Dying to Try In My New Home

1. I wont have a pantry in my new place, but I’m thinking I could make this cute little pull-out pantry for my kitchen! Though the walls seem smaller so I might want to adjust the measurements, but it seems pretty doable! I also found this version without the backing as well, though I like the first one a bit better.

2. I think these slide-out cabinet organizers for under the sink are a brilliant way to keep everything tidy and accessible under there, don’t you? I’m not 100% sure I have the woodworking or carpentry skills to do this one though…

3. Another fabulous idea is to utilize the space above kitchen cabinets and I love the idea of putting wine up there, but instead of buying one, I’d totally try this DIY wine rack instead.

4. I’ve seen a few different versions of this, but hanging measuring spoons inside your cabinet definitely saves drawer space. You can also add nifty vinyl conversions to your measuring cup cupboard for an easy chart to refer to when cooking or baking.

5. This is another that I’m not sure I possess the skills for, but a hidden slide-out knife drawer? I’d love to get my knife block off the counter!

6. I have a pretty spinning spice rack I intend to keep, so while I love these fancy magnetic spice rack options, I still don’t know what to do with some of my other oddly shaped bottles. This super easy and inexpensive magnetic spice holder option looks like a great way to store them without stealing space from my cupboard. Goodness, you can even make a magnetic spice rack inside the cupboard!

7. Adding a Lazy Susan to your fridge seems like a no-brainer. I mean check out this Fridge Butler.

8. In case I can’t pull off the knife drawer, I’m probably going to make a magnetic knife strip. I’m not entirely sure I can pull off this lovely rainbow wood magnetic knife strip, but I’m feeling like I could do something similar… With maybe fabric that’s removable for washing?

9. When in doubt, defer to Martha Stewart. Always. Easy-peasy add some tension rods to a cupboard to separate boards and pans. Even more simple? Re-purpose a desk organizer to sort those cutting boards and shallow pans.

10. Along the office-supply line, re-purpose some CD organizers to hold Tupperware lids. I mean what else do you use them for?

11. Put your garbage bags on a roll under the sink. Out of the way and easy to access!

12. I was already thinking I’d need to use a hanging rack to store pots and pans since I wont have space for them otherwise, why not save some money and make a pot rack out of a bicycle wheel? Brilliant!

13. The new house doesn’t have a fridge, meaning I need to find one quick, and I’m not sure I can afford a really nice one off the bat. There was some talk of my brother buying a new fridge and giving me his old one, and at first I was like “Ew, it’s white and all my other appliances are black!” (I know, I know, beggars can’t be choosers), but now I think I’ll paint the fridge with chalkboard paint and love it! It’ll basically match, plus it’ll be a lot of fun.

14. Another great use for the inside of your cupboards-use a curtain or towel rod to store pot lids! Genius!

15. Okay, this wall attached picture table is to die for-but soooo expensive. I mean if you can afford it, go for it, but I can’t. It looks like wall art until you fold it out to use it as a table. Seriously, why didn’t I think of this? I honestly think this could be made pretty easily with the tools and hinges… Or you could pick up one of these cute fold out desks and just put a picture on the bottom of it.

Have any tips for a future small kitchen owner?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com

The Great Duvet Debate – Am I Too Old For My Current Decor Style?

February 26, 2015 by Angie 12 Comments

I don’t know what it is lately, maybe I’m nesting, but I’ve been obsessed with buying things for my apartment. Maybe I’m stretching to try and make it feel more new? I have been getting the itch to move a lot lately, but I’m not quite sure I’m ready to buy and I wont be able to find anything to rent that is as good a deal as what I’m paying currently. Maybe that’s it? Maybe it’s that I’m finally getting over Josh moving out and trying to make the place feel more my own? Not sure. But I’ve been obsessed.

For Christmas my grandmother gave me a faux down blanket that is much like a duvet. I hadn’t made it up to my grandmother’s last holiday season so she’d give it to my mom and when I went down last weekend it finally made it’s way into my custody. In the spirit of all my redecorating I quickly became obsessed with finding the perfect duvet cover for it-it’s time to stretch a little and change up my bedding. I fell immediately in love with this beauty from Anthropologie:

I mean isn’t it beautiful? BUT… It’s like $228 for just the cover… And none of those pretty pillows are included with it. I couldn’t bring myself to spend that much money, even it if is a work of art you sleep with. I just don’t have the kind of funds to treat myself to that expensive of a piece of fabric… This makes me die a little inside, because I’m completely smitten, but how? I just can’t…

I spent the next few days completely obsessing over duvet covers. There are so many out there, but I just didn’t love any of them as much as I love that one? It’s too perfect. Even when I’d find something I kind of liked that was around $150 I’d think “You know… Just another $70 or so…” but no, I couldn’t do it.

This sparked a new debate in my head. Am I too old for my current decor style?

My current bedroom style is BRIGHT colors. Turquoise, hot pink, rich purple, vibrant yellow… All thrown together. My rug is a bright turquoise with bits of pink and yellow threaded in, and my current comforter looks like this: (crappy old phone photos lol)

I mean I was never super into the butterflies on that comforter, but it has the sort of mandala-esque quality that makes it feel bohemian, and the colors are SO bright and lovely. It’s been a good little blanket that I snagged from Target a few years ago. So based on my current style, here were a few of my initial go-to’s when it came to trying to pick a runner-up duvet:

Rainbow Tree 3pc Duvet Cover Set: Duvet Cover and Two Matching Pillowcases (Queen)

Greenland Home Fashions Nirvana Duvet Cover Set

Or was it about time I started acknowledging the fact that I’m almost 30 and tone it down a bit? Should I start decorating my bedroom in a more adult fashion instead of being a wild-child teenage wannabe? Something more adult, a little simpler, and maybe Egyptian cotton?

Luxury 3pc Liza Full/Queen Duvet cover set 100% Egyptian Cotton 300 thread count fiber reactive prints duvet set By sheetsnthings

Chelsea Embroidered Duvet Cover Set, Elegant and Contemporary Floral Duvet Set, 100% Egyptian Cotton, 5PC Decorative Duvet Cover Set, Full/Queen Size, Aqua-Blue

Honestly, that last one in turquoise could have probably been perfect… But it just didn’t compare to that first duvet I fell in love with. It didn’t have that same feel… That wanderlust. It didn’t have that art about it. I wasn’t in love. But how could I love any of them as much as that first? I couldn’t. All I knew is that I couldn’t spend that much money on a duvet cover, but I was ready to upgrade my style a little. Make a change. Feel different. I finally settled on this beauty from UO and placed my order:

It’s pretty isn’t it? I mean it’s not as grand as that super expensive but most beloved duvet cover I mentioned initially… But it was less expensive, and it’s still beautiful. I also feel like it has so many bright colors (see all those blues and that little touch of pinkish purple? I can work that to match my current rugs and things I think…) but has enough white space and openness that it might brighten up and mature my design a little. Not enough to make me miss a little of my wild youthfulness, but enough to make me feel like I’m embracing a newer, later, age with some grace. Don’t you think?

Maybe it was a silly debate to have with myself. Maybe it’s a debate everyone has when they’re crossing that threshold and nearing the years that are supposed to comprise their more adult and grown up time of their life. Maybe? Did anyone else start going through a must-redecorate-home-so-it-doesn’t-look-like-a-college-dormitory phase before they turned 30? Or at any point in their life?

*Note* AFTER I finally broke down and ordered my second choice from Urban Outfitters, and received my shipping notice, Anthropologie popped up on my Facebook with a 25% off code. GAH! Sad day.

Tell me about your personal decor style, did it change as you aged?

Angie

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com