Archive for December, 2009
True Dat, True Value
The end of 2009 marks the end of our stint on the True Value DIY Blog Squad (which we excitedly introduced just three short months ago). Cue the nostalgic music: “it’s so haaaaard, to say goodbyyyyyye, to yesterdaaaaaaaaaaay.”
But don’t get all teary-eyed on us. We have tons to be grateful for thanks to our amazing three month gig. After all, True Value is the reason we took major leaps forward in getting ready for new additions in 2010 (i.e. the bean + all of the bean’s stuff). They provided gallon upon gallon of Drylok to make our basement storage-ready and supplied the rented demolition hammer that helped get the bathroom project rolling (so we can soon turn attention to the nursery). Not to mentioned that they also offered up a slew of other much-needed items (dimmer switches, paint cans, storage bins, drills, spray paint, puck lights, rollers, paint brushes, drop cloths, etc) to keep us going and tossed in some great advice along the way. So a big “muchos gracias” goes out to those master hardwarians over at True Value. Thanks so much for having us on your squad.
And speaking of the squad, our fellow DIY Blog Squaders also took on some pretty cool projects over the last few months. So be sure to check out their undertakings as well- like the basement tiling project that the Bowers tackled over at All Bower Power. Let’s just say I referenced their how-to advice more than once during our own bathroom tiling blitz.
Or the old door that Layla and Kevin at A Lettered Cottage transformed into a beautiful new piece for their guest bathroom.
Josh over at at Bungalow 23 is in the midst of a bedroom project that involves testing out a couple different types of paint strippers.
And the fellas over at The Handyguys Podcast served up tips for our favorite type of project (painting!) including a nod to the power of Frog Tape (which we can’t wait to try).
And that’s just a sampling of the projects that our fellow Squaders tackled, so be sure to poke around for more True Value projects on each of their sites if you have a minute. Looks like they all had as much fun as we did, although I think Burger’s the only one of us who got to ride in a shopping basket. Oh the perks of being eight pounds.
So here’s to a year of demo-ing, painting, rebuilding, organizing, accessorizing and functional-izing! Somehow we think 2010 will be packed with more of the same. And we’d love to know what you guys accomplished this year in the name of home improvement and space sprucing. Any big plans for 2010? Do tell.
Middle four images courtesy of All Bower Power, A Lettered Cottage, Bungalow 23 and The Handguys Podcast.
Finishing Touches Freebie Winner!
Before we forget to say it – Happy New Year’s Eve to everyone! All of your responses on this week’s giveaway from CabinetKnob.com definitely made us look forward to this evening. As for us, we plan to continue our NYE tradition of heading out for a quiet one-on-one sushi dinner (although Sherry will be avoiding any raw fish rolls this year). It’s actually a tradition that we fell into accidentally, but we’ve since made it official by picking a new sushi joint each year and then saving a pair of chopsticks from the meal (which we then label with year and location for the memories). For us, it’s the perfect way to end a year. Oh and have I mentioned my wife is a veritable sushi monster? Really, it’s her candy.
And for one of you, we’ve got another great way to end 2009: with a $100 gift card toward anything on CabinetKnob.com. So whether you’re looking for new pulls for your kitchen, upgraded moldings for your living room or even a new vanity for your bathroom – consider it discounted by exactly a hundred beans. And speaking of discounts: CabinetKnob.com is offering everyone a 15% discount on all items through January 31st. Just enter YNGHOUSE at checkout. Not bad, eh?
But on to our big winner. After harmonizing with random.org in a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne it revealed that our random winner is: Beth (who, by coincidence, has no plans but hoped it involved shopping for new cabinet knobs). Congrats! Um, I guess you have plans now.
For everyone else, whaddya say we ring in 2010 with some free pillows? Sound like a plan? Good, then it’s settled.
Get more info about our freebies on our Giveaway FAQs page. Pics courtesy of CabinetKnob.com.
Courtney’s Design Dilemma
Courtney’s living and dining room is ready to be transformed. Here’s her letter:
I received a mood board as a Christmas gift and I’m super excited! I read your blog almost every day and love your style (and budget-conscious ideas!). Anyway, my boyfriend and I just moved in together and we really need help with our living room/dining room (with focus on the living room). Our style is much more casual as opposed to formal and we like more traditional styles. We are definitely open to some fun touches though! If we had to pick a store that best reflected our desired aesthetic, it would be Crate and Barrel. We DEFINITELY need some color in the space- everything right now is pretty brown. Most of the furniture needs to stay but we are willing to get rid of the dining room chairs, the hutch near the front door, and the lamps. The TV and stand will not be staying and we need a new wall color. There aren’t any particular colors or patterns that we hate but we tend to lean towards more natural colors (and Eric would kill me if the walls ended up pink). Thanks for all of your help and we are looking forward to what you all come up with! – Courtney (and Eric)
Here’s the plan:
An here’s our newly proposed layout:
And now for the mood board breakdown.
Read the rest of this entry »
Two Christmas Surprises
Nope, we didn’t find out that we’re having twins. There’s definitely just one little guy or girl in there (we actually found out the bean’s sex the day before Christmas Eve and will be revealing it shortly so stay tuned for that…). But we also discovered two unexpected and totally amazing holiday gifts waiting for us in our PO Box when we checked it one last time before heading over to John’s family’s house on the 24th.
One item was a box from one of our lovely readers who attached a note that said she enjoyed our blog regularly and referenced my love of ceramic animals. Of course I could hardly contain myself as I tore open the package to see what little white creature would be joining my faux-managerie. And I literally squealed with glee when I learned it was a small ceramic peacock in the most clean and elegant snow globe I’d ever seen. I’d actually been eying this baby from West Elm for months, so imagine my surprise when it arrived out of thin air from sweet Katie in Texas. What a fantastic and unexpected gift! Here’s my regal little peacock in all of her fine feathered white ceramic glory:
And here she is living it up on our living room side table after a little snowstorm ensued:
Isn’t that fun? We’re so glad to have something decorative to post about since we actually received a ton of baby stuff from the family for the holidays so we didn’t think we’d even have a holiday gift post because there was nary a home-decor-related object in sight. But we said there were two surprises right? Well, back to that. The other item in our PO Box was a large flat envelope, which also came with a sweet card from another one of our readers named Steph (coincidentally also from Texas- my you guys are kind down there!) saying that she enjoyed keeping up with us and our blog and wished us a very happy holiday. And look what we found inside:
Yes that is custom art work of our furbaby Burger! And yes we are in love with it. Of course the sender mentioned that she knew we adored having portraits of our beloved four-legger around and she thought this one could be added to our existing collection:
Isn’t it a fantastic little ode to our favorite pooch? We just kept staring at it in awe (so pretty! so realistic! so generous!). So that’s how this post about holiday house stuff came to be. The kindness of strangers. Well, except that we consider all of our readers to be friends, and this is exactly why. Thanks Katie and Steph! Two gushing thank you notes are already in the mail…
But what about you guys? Did you get anything home related for the holidays? Any huge surprises like a new car or twins or a leopard print snuggie? Do tell.
Email Answer: Mixed Metals?
Q: Hey guys! What’s your opinion on mixing metal finishes in a room? Thanks! – Shelly
A: Do it! We don’t really like anything that’s too matchy-matchy, so as long as you make it look deliberate and layered (as opposed to haphazard and mismatched) the end result can be chic and elegant. For example we have a chrome-based floor lamp in our den, along with oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods and they both stand on their own and don’t look mismatched because we repeat both colors & materials again throughout the room for an intentional effect. In other words, nothing is a sore thumb when you have a number of oil-rubbed bronze thumbs sharing a space with a number of brushed nickel thumbs. Does that make sense?
Sometimes colors like brass are harder to work in quite as seamlessly with more modern finishes like chrome (since brass can typically be seen as “clashy” when it comes to being paired with newer silver finishes). But that’s not to say that gold tones like brass can’t be used to create a modern and elegant vibe- even when they’re mixed with other hardware tones. Check out this gorgeous gleaming showstopper of a mirror (found here) which looks great paired with the nearby black-based lamp and the black iron candelabra on the mantel just inches away. Even the fireplace tools are made from silver-finished hardware, but they still work thanks to the silver tones in the convex mirror and everything from the silver bedding to the platinum gray walls that make it blend right into the rest of the space.
We love the mixed and matched look of this room. In fact it probably would have been a bit too Donal Trump if the lamp, the candlestick, and the fireplace tools were also the brassy gold tone of the mirror. So this is a great example of how something layered and mixed & matched really can look chic and gorgeous. And you’ll notice that there are still a few warm gold tones beyond that large mirror so the color is repeated a few other places in the room (like in the bedding, the mantel accessories, the throw on the chair, and the small candle holders on the side table) to make it feel deliberate and balanced.
In short: as long as you don’t do all chrome and one thing in an oil-rubbed bronze finish, it won’t look mismatched. Instead it’ll look intentional, layered, and possibly even more effortlessly stylish than strictly sticking to all one color. Although in particularly small “concentrated” spaces like a modestly sized bathroom (with a faucet that’s just a few feet away from the showerhead and a light fixture) you may want to keep things consistent (for example: modern chrome all the way or antique bronze for every fixture and door knob) just because things that close can look less layered and balanced in different tones. The last thing you’re going for is an I-updated-half-the-fixtures-but-left-the-rest-so-they-don’t-match effect. So that’s our take on the whole hardware quandry that haunts many a homeowner. Hope it helps!
And speaking of finishes (like oil-rubbed bronze, antique brass, wrought iron, chrome, and brushed nickel) we’d love to know your absolute favorite. We’re torn between the easy care (no fingerprints ever!) of brushed nickel and the quiet elegance of a simple oil-rubbed bronze curtain rod. Tell us all about what floats your boat in the hardware department. We’re all ears.
Psst- Itching for our take on matchy-matchy furniture? Check out this post all about what we think the “rules” should be in that department.
