White Denim is Always In



2 Ugly & Armless Club Chairs



After White Denim SlipCover Treatment

Yes, this is bad. The frequency of my posts have matched the frequency of the appearance of sunshine in the NW.  It's been a brutal start to spring with more on its way. Yikes!

Slipcovering is a great rainy day project. I actually wish it took me longer than it does to finish slipcovering chairs because the rain is still here.  Anyway, my husband and I came across these "cute in and ugly way" chairs at an antique auction. They were roughly $60 for the pair.  I invested another $60 in white cotton denim and piping.  I love the way the crisp white denim looks. These 2 smaller chairs replaced the larger similar one:

Now in Upstairs Guest Room

Can you spot the partridges in the after photos?

 I am now itching to recover my large sofa now too.  The California gal in me is ready for a  summer beach look to compete with the gray rain outside.

What do you think? And also, thanks for visiting even though I haven't posted in so long!

Mini Guest Room

Mini Guest Room

Notice "Lola Van Gogh" by Grammy Brookes

Office Area in Mini Guest Room

White Faux Leather Chair - $130 at Marshalls



White Faux Leather Chair - $249 ZGallerie

The Mini Guest Room (twin bed only):  good for teenage sleep overs, nights when your husband is coughing too much, and for Zoe, the cat, to lounge in the sunny window.  We do have another regular guest room downstairs that can be used while son is away at college. 

A little background on this room that used to be my daughters':  picture 500 tiny tack and nail holes everywhere, tape, stickers and nail polish on the windows and window sills as well as dinged and damaged baseboards.  (There are no before pictures because it was too hideous).  She has since moved to her brothers old room, which is now undergoing similar treatment.  For the new mini guest room, my husband and I cleared out, patched, repainted and installed new trim.

We used the twin bed we already had although it would be more practical to have a full.  On the opposite side of this long, narrow room is the computer desk/chair.  I have tried to keep this room very clean, streamlined and simple, in furniture and color choices.

What do you think? Any thoughts on the "accent" wall. (Not my favorite but I had the paint).

Front Porch Before/After

A close friend, who is selling her home, asked me to "refresh" her front porch. To me, this is the perfect project: simple, streamlined and finite. (Insert image of me gleefully clapping while embarking on this projecto). If I could travel around neighborhoods "pearing down" clutter while helping a home make its best first impression, I would be so fulfilled.

Front Porch Before
Front Porch After
Planter After
Sitting Area Before
Sitting Area After
Sitting Area After
As you can see from the photos, CC's front porch is in great shape, we just thought it could be better:

To Start - We removed everything from the porch (aside from the large planters and bolted bench), hosed it all down, cleaned the windows, removed spider webs, etc. A new front door mat was added.

Plantings - The mismatched pots were pulled, not because I had a problem with the variety, I wanted the porch to appear large and low maintenance. We also had a plant budget and filling large containers can add up. If you want to make an impact with a large planter, you have to overflow the container with plants, the fuller the better. We also cut back a lot of the greenery along the staircase making it tidy and open.

Sitting Area - The bench was in a perfect location for enjoying garden views and passerbys. To showcase the area, we removed the hose reel, found a great outdoor seat cushion and pillow, and added a side table and candle lantern that were hidden in the back yard. With the existing wisteria framing the view, this sitting area became even more inviting.

Do you have any front porch before/afters? Thanks for visiting and please feel free to comment/suggest!

Guestroom Redo - Color Story

A few weeks ago, my lovely kids decided to play musical rooms. My daughter moved into her brothers room, he moved into the guest room and all of the guest room ended up in my daughters room. I wasn't thrilled with this arrangement but was assured that I wouldn't have to do anything, the kids were going to take care of all of it. They did a great job of moving everything and settling themselves, quite happily, into their new rooms. And I was left with one messy guest room that needs a ton of work to make it presentable. However, the room really did need a touch up and I am up for the challenge on these rainy spring days.

My husband and I have patched and primed the walls (literally 240 tack and nail holes to be patched and primed). Next, the easiest way for me to settle on a paint color is to figure out bedding, pillows and fabric that will be in the room. I feel very happy about the color story I have put together below. I think it will marry nicely with the beautiful Benjamin Moore Hawthorne colored walls (sorbet yellow).

A couple of these throw pillows will be the centerpiece for the color scheme:

Pottery Barn Pillow
Fresh Patterned Sheets:

West Elm
Quilted Bedcover:

Ikea
Varying shades of blue throw pillows:

Pottery Barn
Textured Gray Throw Pillow:

Etsy.com

What do you think of this color story so far? Let me know.

Salvage Scavenger

Today the kids have a track meet way over in West Seattle. I am happy to head out on that long journey because we will drive right by one of my favorite salvage yards along the way: Second Use.

I have been scavenging my way through 2nd Use for close to 15 years now, we are so lucky to have this salvage yard in Seattle. They salvage materials from construction sites throughout the area and place them for sale in their giant warehouse. In the past, it was necessary to show up and hunt through their thousands of items to find a gem. A couple of years ago some genius employed by Second Use, has revamped their website and you can now search for items prior to leaving your home. It's so useful to view items online as photos and measurements are included in the description. Also the warehouse is cold, damp and filled to the rafters with materials...overwhelming. Entering with a list in mind makes the experience more enjoyable.

I am redoing a guest/office bedroom and thought the finds in the photos might make great additions to the room:

• A giant chalkboard above the computer desk - I would probably repaint with magnetic chalkboard paint for multi-use. It is only $55!
  
• As a closet cubby, the $10 yellow shelf might be a steal (I am pondering a gray, yellow, white color theme).
• There are a lot of useful looking school cabinets inventoried, this one stood out because of the perfectly sized drawers for storing photos, paper, kids art, etc.
• And finally, the bamboo cafe table looks promising, a small side table is always in need in any room. It may need a fresh coat of stain, but I love the proportions. ($45)

Off to the salvage yard and then the races, I will bring my camera and let you know what I find!

Shed Chic

What a great day! The sun is out, spring is just around the bend, March Madness begins and my kids have their first track meet of the season! Until I head off to their meet, I will be cozied up in a sunny spot devouring this incredible book: Shed Chic by Sally Coulthard. I have touched on backyard structures in a previous Modern Shed post, but this takes additional living space to a whole new level.

Would you create a digital free haven for reading and writing, a purpose-built home office or a guest annex? So many charming possibilities are brought to light in this beautifully photographed book. There are a couple of "sheds" that I could just live in and need nothing else. Add this book to your list, you won't be disappointed.

p.s. If you read the book, I would love to know your favorite sheds. Please send me an email (heather.runners@gmail.com) or comment on this post!

Buffet Built in

I have always longed for storage space in the dining room. A place for dishware, display and table top lighting. Unfortunately, there is not enough room in my home. However, I have recently had the chance to help friends with ideas on a great niche in their dining room. Believe me, it is a GREAT niche, over 11 feet long and previous home to an overwhelmingly large, floor to ceiling, 70's wood built-in. Although it seemed we nailed down a great option from Ikea, I decided to research a bit more (yes, I tend to over research everything).

Dining room niche with built in removed:



Additional options:

Beautiful custom sideboard with rattan insets on the doors from Appletree Woodworks.
Free upper wall space for art and counter space for table lamps. Example from HVilleScoop.com
Sunset.com. A perfect match to their kitchen cabinetry. Add a narrow depth wine fridge, some glass front upper cabinets for stemware and there you have a swanky wine bar.
Sunset.com. Houses dishware, stemware, linens and pottery worthy of display. They might miss having countertop space.
Hoping to achieve a built-in look with Ikea's modular options, we were able to graph out the room adding upper and lower cabinets from their Effectiv line. The line is part of Ikea's workroom furniture. At 17 in. deep, it won't overwhelm the room like the previous cabinetry had.

Ikea - Effectiv Series
Ikea - Effectiv Series

The extra research has lent more ideas to this project. I hope my friends find them helpful. I look forward to revealing before/after photos once their project is complete.

FrogTape

I have been a little behind on my posts due to finally painting our master bedroom. During the process, I discovered FrogTape. For years I have been painting without taping, I use a really good brush and dig deep for the utmost patience at ceilings and baseboards. The problem with my method is time consumption. But after disappointing results with blue masking tape, I felt it wasn't worth the effort to tape.

I can now 100% recommend FrogTape for clean, perfect lines. FrogTapes' micro-barrier activates when latex paint comes in contact, creating a seal. It really works. Check out their website for more information: FrogTape.

Sarah's House

Photos courtesy of Sarah Richardson Portfolio on Flickr
I may be a little late jumping on this bandwagon, but if you haven't already, set your dvr to record HGTV's Sarah's House. Canadian design expert Sarah Richardson renovates a home from top to bottom. I love her design style as it never seems over accessorized or unattainable, it is chic yet livable. She goes for quality elements where it counts and saves money where she can. Check out her show and her HGTV page. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Now I am out the door to pick up the perfect gray color paint for my bedroom. After 6 test colors, I think I have found it. Interesting that in the photos I found today, Sarah's master bedroom is also gray!

Grand Entry Accessorize

It has been a week since I posted: Grand Entry, suggesting the task of sprucing up your front entry. Thanks to everyone for your feedback, I am pleased you were inspired to step out front and view the entry in a new light.

We all know that plant/flowered filled pots, a welcoming entry mat and stand out address numbers are great basics in accessorizing your front entry. Let's take it further with one or two items that make you the best on the block.

Why not hang an art piece in your entry? Wrought iron plaques can be hung within the alcove/portico or allowed to weather naturally on an exposed wall.
Ballard Designs
Amazon.com
Steps or a front porch can be the perfect spot for a large lantern. Keep scale and space in mind if considering this addition. One small lantern will be lost on a large porch. Also, will a lantern block access to your front door?

Frontgate
Berber Trading

Finally, is it time to ditch your doorbell? A simple, classic doorbell can mirror the finishes chosen in your lighting, address numbers and door hardware. Upgrade your entry with $10-15, minimal time, and some simple wiring. Look no further than Restoration Hardware for a great selection.




With any accessorizing, be sure to keep it crisp and clutter-free. Your front entry should represent your home and invite guests, not become an obstacle course or visually distracting.

Concrete - Seal of Approval

ConstructionDeal.com
NW Concrete
NW Concrete
Concrete may not be one of the most luxurious design elements to add to a home, but due to its versatility and durability, it can be both practical and beautiful.

After months of training our new puppy to use the rec room door as her outdoor exit, our carpet and tiles paid the price for her accidents along the way. We ripped up the carpet and realized the concrete slab had settled. Our plan to install laminate flooring would require a skim coat of concrete to even out the floor surface. If a skim coat was required, why not skip the laminate altogether? A professional concrete company came into our home and had the floor skim coated, stained a deep chocolate with hints of black and sealed within a week. It is gorgeous! It adds a modern, industrial element to a room where kids, dogs, guys and football games reign, yet the deep color adds some warmth. I love how easy it is to care for, simply vacuum and damp mop.

Can you see concrete flooring in your home?

Play with Display

After photographing my renovated bookshelf for a before/after post, I realized I could use a little inspiration to now makeover what is displayed in my bookshelf. If there isn't one already, can someone please publish a coffee table book on display ideas, I am happy to donate a title: "Play with Display".

Love the mix of decorative objects, boxes and books:
House to Home
Drawn to the casual effortless style:
Sunset Home
Framed art and books aligned by color, weighted with magazine holders:
Sunset Home
Empty space is part of design, objects have room to breathe:
Sunset Home
Streamlined, simple and balanced not overworked or "themey":
Terramia

Over the next few days I plan to incorporate some of these ideas, revamping my bookshelf. If you are inspired to join me, here are some guidelines:

• Take a before photo
  
• Clean out the entire bookshelf, organizing items into like piles
  
• Decide what stays and what goes
  
• Scour your home for meaningful, beautiful objects to display, don't forget about artwork, pedestals, travel mementos
  
• Something still missing? plan on purchasing a statement item with a self-imposed budget limit (mine will be $10)
  
• Give yourself ample time to play with the display, crank some music and enjoy the process
  
• Take an after photo

I would love to view and or share before/after images from readers, send photos my way via email.