Santa's Workshop (AKA my kitchen)

My kitchen has been overflowing with wood boards, cans of paint, and supplies for the past few weeks as I prepped for our local Christmas Craft Faire.  

This was my second year having a table at the event.  To be honest, there are a ton of emotions involved with this type of situation. There is the fun of creating new products, the excitement of having my items on display, the hope that someone there will find something that catches their eye to purchase, and a whole lot of stress! :) There is also a ton of gratitude. My dad spent hours working with me prepping windmill blades, cutting wood, and assembling sleds. I'm very tankful for such a supportive family. 

These Christmas Tree signs above are double sided with a pumpkin patch design for Fall on the other side:

  

Now to turn the "workshop" back into a kitchen...

Hope you are all enjoying the festivities this time of year brings. Many blessings to you this Christmas season.

Quick Fix on the Patio

Below is the living room on the day we moved in...

One of the first things that grabbed my attention (besides the awesome view) was the big blue plywood art installation on the back patio. We were hoping that it wasn't covering up some major flaw in the wall and it was on the "to-do" list as one of the first things to remove.

SEVEN months later the FIVE minute task was accomplished. Why did we wait so long?? 

No flaw in the wall was discovered underneath...only drywall anchors to remove and patch.

I don't mind seeing the BBQ now that the plywood is gone and curtains are installed! This corner has a much softer feel now, and it's a nice place to put your feet up. 

Don't you just love quick fixes that make such a big impact?

Progress in the Living Room...CURTAINS!

I'm happy to announce we've hung curtains and one piece of wall art!  :)

The USA map is from Cost Plus World Market. The corner got a little faded from the sun as it patiently waited in the garage to be hung on the wall. It just adds to the distressed character, right? :)

We used Ritva curtains from Ikea. I still have a few panels to add but I'm loving the way they softly frame the windows and gorgeous view of the valley beyond. 

In the picture above, you can see a little bit of the wall that separates the dining room and living room. The big blue wall is no longer as the entire space is now covered in Behr Classic Silver. 

I love the simplicity of the neutral white, black, gray backdrop. 

I can add pops of color with accessories and change them for the seasons. 

I've been placing vintage treasures around the room for both function and art.  

A Coca-Cola crate hides wires and video game equipment.

A 7-Up crate and old step ladder serve guests as an end table. 

 We are slowly making progress around here, and I'm pleased with the results so far!! 

Fall is going to be busy, but I'm hoping to scratch a few more items off of my to do list. 

6 Month Progress Report

We've been here in our new home a little more than 6 months.  We didn't have a lot of time or energy to work on improving the interior during the school year, but now it's summer and there's been a little bit of progress. I was feeling like my to-do list was endless, so I figured it was a good time to look back at what has been done rather than feel overwhelmed with what's left to do. 

Entry Way

Before

In Progress

The RED walls are gone and the trim is now white, but "Big Blue" is still among us.  These walls are huge, and I am slowly working my way around the room, one wall at a time. 

Big Blue is up next to be transformed!

Living Room

Before

In Progress

. 

These walls are deceptively larger than you might think. 

The wall you see below with windows and a slider is not your standard 8' perimeter wall. It is actually just shy of 10 feet and then it vaults up from there! I can barely reach the peak of the vaulted ceiling on an 8' ladder.

Living Room
Before

Progress

Dining Room

Before

In Progress

The lighting was difficult to work with this morning. These walls are actually gray (Classic Silver).

What I've done so far:

• Painted *most* of the walls Behr Classic Silver
• Painted the oak trim Behr Silky White to unify the trim
• Added two Ikea Hemnes bookcases to flank the TV

What's left to do:

• Hang art work on the wall (not one nail has gone in to the walls yet!)
• Hang curtain rods and curtains (I've purchased these and these!)
• Update the terrible light fixtures (Haven't decided what I want yet)
• New sofas...someday!

Value in Cohesion

You know by now that I am not afraid to paint anything in my house. 

Some people shy away from painting wood trim and cabinets in their home because of perceived value.   

• Oak does not have more value in my opinion.  It's kind of old hat and tired.  Now if you still LOVE oak, then by all means keep it unpainted.  But if you don't LOVE it, don't surround yourself with it just because someone who *might* buy your house in the future *might* like it. 
• As a former kitchen designer, I helped many clients remove their worn out oak and replace it with a variety of wood species in a variety of finishes. 
• If you are going to paint, DO A GOOD JOB! Prep properly, use good products, and paint neatly.

To me it is NOT valuable to have white baseboards, white case moldings around most doors, white doors, and a few random natural wood casings and sills.  

I would rather all the woodwork be more consistent. The wood sills and door casings in my living room were standing out..and not in a good way. 

Take a look for yourself…

White baseboards, wood sills, wood outlet plates

White baseboards, wood sills, wood casing, white outlet plates

There it is. White baseboards and oak sills and oak door casing in all it's un-cohesive glory. One of the first projects to tackle at our new home was to paint the oak trim white. 

Keep in mind, my vision for the space is to have a neutral black/white/gray background and let my furniture and accessories have pops of color. That means the gray walls, white curtains, and black curtain rods I have in mind will look MUCH better with the trim painted white. :)   

Here's a sneak peek at what the oak wood trim looks like in white with gray walls. 

Ahh…much, much better! 

:)

Picking Paint Colors

I tried to reinvent the wheel.

We recently moved in to our new home and we are excited to paint to add our personal preference and design style. 

Before

So I perused the internet and design blogs making notes of popular gray colors.

I purchased and sampled SIX designer grays.

BUT I compared everything to my beloved mountain home color choice - Behr Classic Silver.

Before Pictures

Here's a look at a few of the rooms the day we got our keys!

The floor plan is amazing. Here are a few of our favorite things about this house: 

• breathtaking views
• tall walls
• vaulted ceilings
• brick fireplace
• granite countertops
• dark wood floors
• tons of storage

I've added before pictures and the "to do lists" associated with each room to the tab at the top called "Home Tour". 

Basically I can sum up my to do list with one word…PAINT! I have a lot of painting in my future. We plan on painting all of the walls, trim, doors, and kitchen cabinets.  We will also change out the brass door hardware and most of the light fixtures. We are thoroughly enjoying living in this house just the way it is and will slowly start tackling that list. One room at a time… 

Entry

Mountains and Valleys

A year ago, our life looked very different than it does today.  We were living in a home we loved in a mountain community we loved, but my husband's commute of just over an hour each way to the valley was taking a toll on not just him - but on myself and the boys.  We needed more time with daddy home…time that he wasn't exhausted and trying to catch up on sleep. After a weekend away together, we decided it was time to make some changes.  Up went the for sale sign and the beginning of our new journey.

our home in the mountains