Archive for October, 2008
Trick Or Treat
We’re clearly too old to go trick or treating tonight. So we enjoyed our own version of it last weekend by treating ourselves to a stroll around a historic downtown neighborhood in search of some tricked out Halloween decorations. To be honest we didn’t find that many (wait til Christmas when everyone goes bonkers) but we did stumble upon a handful of subtle and stylish autumn arrangements worth sharing. Let the virtual house hopping begin…
This little pumpkin + mum arrangement reminded us of our own front steps… if only we had the amazing door, classic columns and wide stairs to go with it.
This house taught us to not stop at a simple autumn wreath when you can do a little spooking through the window (this awesome ghost was actually painted on the back of a rolling shade that must get hung every October- such a great DIY idea). Boo to you too.
And upping the ghost ante a bit is this house, which nicely balanced the whimsical kitsch-factor of Halloween decor (the spider and the ghost) with a nice collection of classic autumn accents (the plethora of pumpkins- including the mini ones lining the transom window above the door).
And after enjoying these understated treats in Richmond’s Fan District, we turned to the Internet to find a truly tricked out Halloween home. This Victorian casa in Kenova, WV lights up each October with over 3,000 jack-o-laterns that are carved by the owner. Not surprisingly, it’s called the “Pumpkin House.”
(Photo courtesy of flickr, tip about the Pumpkin House courtesy of my parents who actually visited it)
And before we leave the Halloween theme for good this year, here’s the pic Jenn requested of our hand carved jack-o-lanterns all lit up and ready for all the little candy-hungry neighborhood ghosts and goblins.
Happy halloween everyone! Be safe out there tonight… and eat Snickers and Reece’s til you’re blue in the face.
Steal Of The Week: Our Little Black Book
We love books. Lots of them. In fact, John’s mom works at a library, which has definitely influenced John’s lifelong desire to be surrounded by stacks of books. And my dad and I often spent hours each Saturday morning trolling garage sales and making a beeline to the old books in search of ancient tomes with a story or two to tell (for a dime a piece). So the long and short of it is that we love books. Old ones, new ones, funny ones, serious ones, and especially inspiring ones.
And nothing even comes close to the inspiration that we’re constantly rediscovering in the pages of the Design Idea Book by Karen Templer. This compilation of interiors is not only fabulous when it comes to fresh color schemes and furniture arrangements, it raises the bar in the idea category (hence the name) and always gives us an exciting new perspective with regards to materials, layouts, and even unique accessorizing.
And don’t judge this book by its cover- every page gets better and better (and the aesthetic is anything but ordinary). At around $16 it’s the best bang for your buck in the book department (many expensive hard cover home decor books are three times as much and are a lot less interesting and inspired). You’re sure to find some pretty amazing ideas for your own home among the pages- and we love that a lot of the furnishings in the book aren’t over-the-top designer pieces that are totally out of our price range. Many things look like thrift store finds, pieces that have been given a second chance thanks to a can of spray paint, and even items that can be snagged at places like Michael’s & Target (arranged in an upscale and interesting way).
So in case it’s not painfully obvious, we’re head over heels for this book. And since we’re all about sharing our inspiration, we thought featuring our favorite design guidebook as our steal of the week would be the perfect way to shine the spotlight on a totally worthy read. Nothing beats snuggling up to a good book as the nights get colder and the days get shorter.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com.
Fran’s Color Conundrum
When we heard Fran’s cry for help with her brick rancher’s exterior color scheme, we pulled out our paint chips and got down to business. Here’s her letter:
Earlier this year I purchased a small rancher with some aesthetically challenged orange brick… and bright white trim to boot! I am ready to get started on my curb appeal, but am stumped when it comes to choosing colors to tone down this brick. The brick and the roof are about the same color. The roof has a little more brown in it. Those are the two things that are “fixed”, so the new palette has to revolve around them. I lean towards sophisticated colors; nothing that looks like it came from a crayon box. My style is mostly traditional with a modern flair (to keep things from getting too stuffy). Colors I like: neutrals, reds, greens. Colors I wouldn’t consider: pastels, blue, purple, orange, or anything garish. Oh and I love the idea of a red door. I know you guys will come up with something fabulous so I’m going to hit “send” and leave this in your capable hands. Thanks! – Fran
Everyone knows we have a soft spot when it comes to brick ranchers, so without further ado, three current and classic color schemes that will add instant curb appeal and inviting ambiance to Fran’s facade:
Here’s the paint palette breakdown.
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Reader Redesign: Spiffin’ The Kitchen
Ok, prepare to be wowed. Because when Lindsay sent her kitchen makeover pics our way we almost couldn’t believe our eyes. Here’s her letter:
Okay, okay. I’ve read your pleas to send in more before and afters! Admittedly, I am nervous to send anything your way because I feel it just won’t measure up to the stellar work you two have done. However, I am super proud of our low-budget kitchen makeover and wanted to share. This is our first house and we’ve never done anything remotely “handy” before. We learned a lot along the way (never knew what 1/4-round was before!), and if we had to do it again we would make a few changes. But overall, we are pleased. Just like your first kitchen re-do, we hope this one holds us over until we can make big changes. :)
We ripped out the linoleum and installed new 20″ tiles throughout the entire 1st floor, replaced the refrigerator and the microwave (and plan to replace the stove soon), primed and painted the cabinets a glossy white color, and replaced all the cabinet hardware with a much more updated pull. Overall, we are really satisfied with our budget makeover. We spent about $50 on primer and paint, $60 on hardware, $50 on hinges, $14 for laminate flooring that we used as a wipeable (and durable) shelf liner, and about two weekends worth of labor. Anyway, hope you enjoy our makeover in our first home. -Lindsay
Here’s the builder-grade before:
And the stunning and fresh after (thanks to some paint, new hardware, new appliances, and a few adorable accessories- love those green glasses and the rotating spice rack on the counter):
Thanks for sharing your mouthwatering kitchen makeover with us, Kelly! And if anyone out there is holding back their fabulous makeover pictures, let this be a gentle reminder that we have a serious before and after dependence. So please oh please oh please send ‘em our way!
Oh and stick around for a step by step tutorial about painting your cabinets in a snap. If you can paint a wall you can paint your cabinets so stay tuned…
Robin’s Color Conundrum
When we heard that Robin was in desperate need of some exterior color advice, we whipped out our paint chips and got right to work. Here’s her letter:
I’m in need of some color guidance! I will be closing next week on a new-to-me home. The new hardi-board siding on both sides and the back needs to be painted and I’d decided to paint it a light gray (and paint the accents near the garage a darker gray) but now that the time has come, I can’t seem to make a decision! The roof is a light blue/gray color, and the painter will be painting the soffit and fascia along with the walls of the house. I really like the idea of painting the front door a different color and was thinking of something in a reddish, purple-gray, or burgundy. Then there’s my indecision about whether I should paint the garage door. I found two color combos that I like, but I am not sure how dark or light they will look on a whole house. The house is only about 1100 square feet, so I’m afraid of making it look smaller. This led me to think that maybe I should stick with white as the main color, which would mean I wouldn’t necessarily have to repaint the garage door or the window frame, and then I could have the front door color pretty much any color I want. As you can see, I really could use your help!! Thanks a bunch! – Robin
We love Robin’s charming new home already, and a bit of color is just what the doctor ordered to add some curb appeal and look-at-me style to spare. So without further ado, three paint palettes that we painstakingly selected to turn Robin’s new home into home sweet home:
Here’s the color scheme breakdown.
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