Suburban Homestead

Antiquing in The Foothills - I Struck Gold!

Whenever we are in the mountains, I like to walk through the antique shops in downtown Placerville. Last week, my mom was with us. Over the years, we've shared many afternoons together, stolling in and out of antique shops. It's always been something we've both loved. This time, I had more purpose than normal - I was on the lookout for pieces that could be incorporated into a friend's second home that I'm helping her get set-up. The house is in a rural part of the wine country, and she is going for a sort of modern hunting lodge theme. 

The problem I find in shopping for clients is you can't help but bring your own ideals to the selection process. And so when I find something that I think would be absolutely perfect for their enviornment, and they decide to take a pass on it, I often end up buying it for myself. Note the needlepoint moose art!

I mean, who in their right mind would pass on a giant needlepoint art piece for their hunting lodge themed home?? Not me! I grabbed it the minute the store owner dropped the price in half and hung it under the window next to Tiny Buns' bed. 

My absolute favorite find of the day was a taxidermy chicken nesting in a wine box. Regardless of her passing on the moose, I have to give my gal snaps for getting on board with this lady which will be displayed in her dining area on a bakers rack. Brave my friend, you are very brave! 

This 30" tall state fair themed pinball game will make a great art piece in the kids bunk room, or on a small hallway wall. My daughter cried when she learned it would not be coming home with us. (And then I started crying too.)

Four hand-painted animal plates which will hang on the sides of kitchen cabinets painted kelly green. 

A cute, cute branded stool perfect for kids or as a stepping stool in the kichen.

An impulsive buy for me, I bought a set of six 1960's glasses showcasing all the US presidents from Washington to Kennedy. 

I don't know what this little wagon is all about but I thought it could complete the look of our kitchen windowsill at the cabin. What do you think?

Check-out some of my other antiquing posts here and here. 

Super Bowl Sunday and a Living Room's Before + After

When you don't have cable, but you do have dependents well below the drinking age, you have to get a little creative if you want to watch a big production like The Olympics or say, The Super Bowl. Take a tip from my guy, he just shot a generic email out to a bunch of friends asking "When can we come over? Jeanice has offered to cook". And then waited for the first reply.

 

Ding-dong! We're here!!!

If I was half the woman I pretend to be, I would have remembered to take pictures of the Super Bowl spread that came together tonight: hot nachos, meatball sandwiches, beet salad, and some football shaped cake pops that tasted just like old-school Ding-Dongs. What I did remember to take pictures of is my friend M's house - one that I helped her with several years ago. I've been meaning to take pictures of it for some time but - ding dong - only just got to it tonight. 

One of the reasons I love this space is because the end result is such a huge departure from the original space. (Scroll down to see the before pictures.) The only piece that stayed was the piano. M. loves fashion but was not comfortable taking the same sort of risks in her living room as she might stepping out of her house. She was, however, very open to suggestions and willing to take some leaps outside her comfort zone with a little hand-holding. The end result is a fun and flirty living space that draws from her feminine style and plays up her family's happy energy. 

The BEFORE shots:

Model Apartment Remodel - Before + After

A couple months ago, I installed a model apartment for a lovely complex in Denver. I loved this little one bedroom home with its French doors, peaked ceilings and large windows looking out onto a dairy farm. The property was in its original condition but we got to make some great updates to flooring and cabinets that will eventually be rolled out to all the units. I went with a neutral palette of grays and brown, with pops of yellow, gold and blues. Here is a mixed collection of before and after shots.

























The den and bedroom are my favorite spaces in this home. All of the items above were found on flash sale sites and/or West Elm, CB2, etc. I had no idea when I bought the bed's throw pillows that they were my girl Trina Turk's!







With every project, there are those wonderful, unplanned coincidences that just make the finished room that much more satisfying to the designer. In this case it was how the starburst bedding and windmill artwork played off each other in the bedroom. Weeee!!!!







When a model apartment is 95% installed, and I just need the final touches to *pump it up*, Target is my quick-fix friend. (Duh.) Here, a little gold statue and some colorful nail polish in a coordinating dish, brought life to this tiny bathroom for very little cost.

Model Apartment Remodel - Before + After

Last week I was out in Denver working on various projects for several apartment complexes. The most exciting project is one that may or may not get off the ground, depending on the pricing we get back, but I am hopeful that I will be able to oversee the installation of a large community garden and orchard in this complex that is home to many young families. Dreamy!!! I was also in The Mile High City to install a new model apartment in another complex that had been recently acquired by new owners eager to freshen up the units and clubhouse. Now, model apartments are not the world's most exciting sounding projects, but I do love the budget and time limitations that they pose, making each one a different kind of challenge. And since everyone loves before + after pictures, I thought I would go ahead and share a little bit of my crazy week.

Let's start with a pretty picture first, shall we:

Just a couple weeks before I snapped the picture above, the room looked like this:

Above is CB2's Saga credenza - love it! - topped with a Candice Olson light (found at 50% off), faux air plants and a prop flat screen TV. The couch was on clearance at Room & Board and the club chair was from overstock.com. The flooring is -- brace yourself -- rolled vinyl! Looks just like hardwood, no?! A great solution for apartment living.

Before all the new flooring went down...before the cabinets got a facelift...before the faux stainless steel appliances arrived, the kitchen and dining room looked like this:

Then they were this:

All the units will be getting these updates as they turnover and all future tenants will have the option to upgrade to the accent wall colors shown in these images.

Master bedroom and bath BEFORE:

Master bedroom and bath AFTER:

Second bedroom and bath BEFORE:

Second bedroom and bath AFTER:

It took my Boulder-based girlfriend and me a total of 28 hours to install this two-bedroom apartment - and that was JUST the furniture and accessories. It never seizes to amaze me how long it takes to get a small apartment photo-ready. :)

Sprucing Up the Cabin

We've been spending the week between Christmas and New Years at the cabin since our family purchased it seven years ago. It needed a lot of cosmetic work at first, but thankfully we were the first people in the months it had been on the market to see through all that and to realize its potential.

Carpet and paint were the first to-do items, hauling abandoned equipment, dismantling the...eh hem, "hidden garden" and rebuilding a failing deck all took priority. Each family contributed furniture from their homes, and Nana and Papa purchased some much needed big items like a sectional couch and new dining chairs. The house is fully furnished, totally comfortable and in need of nothing.

Which means it's time for me to find projects where there aren't any.

It's who am and this is just what I do.

This trip I began to decorate a second refrigerator in the kitchen area that has been driving me CRAZY for years. Its bright white exterior is my idea of an eyesore against the wood paneled cabin walls. I finally decided, and was granted *permission*, to make it an objet d'art. I discovered Cafe Press and was able to find thousands of bumper stickers that spoke to our family's time here together. It's not done, I want it to be completely covered with bumper stickers. But I think it's off to a good start!

Rustic Modern Clubhouse Remodel

Last month, I went back to Denver to install my first clubhouse and leasing office. This project was SO MUCH fun! Heavily driven by a tight budget and time-line, the late 1970's architecture of this large scale apartment complex spoke to me -- and when it did, it told me to not deny it its right to be a little funky. The exterior's mansard roofs, *glory days* rock facades and retro globe lighting fixtures could not be denied. With a tenant base of mostly young families, I suggested we just have fun with what we were given and not try to make it look like something its not.

While new siding and paint is being applied to the exterior (pictures on that later), it still has a fun vibe with some of its original details. I wanted to bring some of that same flavor to the interior spaces when remodeling both the clubhouse and the leasing office.  The complex is also ideally located on the outskirts of Denver, between parkland, farms and other apartment buildings, so bringing in the whole *rustic* vibe was just another no-brainer.

Here it is today:

I missed getting a good shot of the built-in bookshelf and media center I designed, but here is a detail shot. Made from reclaimed wood, we stained this a walnut color and painted the wall behind it to offer a bit more contrast for all the colorful books. This apartment complex is located in an incredible school district and the property just comes to life with kids once school lets out. I wanted to give these kids a place to come and flip through picture books that would give them windows to other areas of our world. I filled the shelves with books on travel, good eating, animal life and American pop culture.

The *before* shot above shows the original kitchen, equipped with a refrigerator, oven, sink and microwave. Because those big appliances rarely got used, I suggested we downsize the kitchen to just a counter area for coffee with a small refrigerator.

I love this little stool with its quilted detail on top. I found them on Overstock for about $80 each. There is one at each end of the table.

You can *kinda* see the built-in above and to the left.

I also redid the leasing office, which is right off the clubhouse. I couldn't get any great pics of it though because there was still a lot of cords and files out when I left. Hopefully on my next visit I can get some better pics of it.

11 Things I Love About Our New House

It's been a while, I know.

What's been keeping me from blogging has actually not been the move or the end of school activities, but a couple work projects that have got me very excited...and maybe traveling a bit too.

The dust is beginning to settle though, and I'm looking forward to soaking in everything about this new house of ours this summer. Here are my favorite things about it:

1. The Front Doors. When we first went into contract on this home, we were actually on our road trip to Palm Springs. Over the moon and looking forward for what was in store, I found a lot of inspiration on that trip that I naturally projected onto my visions of remodeling. We needed to do a couple quick fixes before we moved, like replace some windows and add some ceiling lights to the kid's rooms. The interior had been given a fresh coat of paint but I couldn't help but paint the front doors. The best part is that I pained over the perfect shades of yellow and finally narrowed it down to two - Benjamin Moore's "Baby Chick" and "Yolk". Now if that wasn't just meant to be! (I ended up going with Yolk.)

2. It’s a Typical Ranch.  Architecturally speaking, the California Ranch home has got to be my favorite – simple, modern, one story living!

3. It’s In The Flats.  I haven’t lived in the flats for almost 15 years when I shared a five-bedroom house with four other girls in San Francisco’s Sunset district. I haven’t lived in the flats where it was actually safe to ride my bike anywhere since college. In our new life, we bike to school, to lunch, to the grocery store, and out on date night.  It’s been a welcome change.

4. It Needs Work.  There are few things I love more in this world than family, friends and a good project. While we purchased it move-in-ready, and can easily live here for years as-is, it screams “BLANK CANVAS!” to us. We intend to live it for a while, get a feel for what works and what doesn’t (the furnace, dishwasher and toilets come to mind) and then we'll go from there.

5. Room For A Garden. It was tough leaving the original Suburban Homestead with it’s ideal growing conditions, but I’ve been watching the sun and how it moves over the new property and am excited to make this place work too. I think I’ve finally spotted the best space for the veggie garden. Right now it’s just a rocky slope out back, covered in ivy with patches of poison oak, but this time next year, I plan to have it in full operation.

Blackberries from our neighbors yard creep into ours. :)

6. It Has a Mini Orchard.  Two apple trees, an almond and a pear count, right?. I can’t wait to get canning this fall and planting more fruit trees. I will not be a complete woman until I have a fig, quince, pomegranate and persimmon tree here with us.

 

7. The Dark-Bottom Pool. I’ve not been much of a pool person since I turned about eleven, or so. But I have always been a fan of the dark-bottom pool. Who knew a swimming pool could bring so much to a family. Our kids are in it all day long!

8. It’s All White. The previous owners of the house lived here for almost forty years and had not done any work since 1983. There is a lot of Formica, vinyl tile and maybe even one or two original pastel-tile, 50’s bathrooms. But for the most part it’s white, and I can live with 80’s décor as long as it’s all white.

9. The Old-Growth Oaks. ‘nough said.

10. The Hallway.  I know, right? The hallway?!? But yes, the dramatically long hallway, measuring close to sixty feet long, and ending with a picture window looking out onto the pool, is one of my favorite features of the house. I’ve already begun to fill the walls with family photos. More on this feature coming up!

11. The Gazebo. This old school gazebo was adorable just sitting empty, but after a friend suggested re-hanging the (not so lovely) chandelier from the entry in the gazebo, it's cute factor jumped up a few more notches. We've already had some great family dinners out here.

My Crazy News

I have been absent.

I left the building...departed...I jumped ship. I have been MIA, gone, nowhere to be found. For two weeks now, I have been completely silent online.

And for good reason.

See, we bought a new house...and we are selling ours.

This past month has been filled with lots of introspection, dialogue and movement. Crazy amounts of movement. I've been moving, people around me are moving, the furniture is moving.

Yesterday we finally closed on our new home and today we took a giant step towards the sale of ours. I thought I might find relief in all the good news, but instead, I found myself crying. Right there in traffic, after receiving word from Daddy, and with all three kids in tow, the waterworks erupted. I cried because we had sold my childhood home to another family that would now own it and love it just as we had for so many years. I cried because I worried that I had made a mistake I might not recognize until it was too late. And it was already too late.

But then I reminded myself that my kids and husband do not stay with the old house, and that home is really only where we are all together. It's obvious, I know, but reminding myself helped ease any fear.  Together, we are simply embarking on a new chapter of our family's adventures and what could be more exciting than that?!

Tonight, in celebration of all the good news, we invited the three grandmothers to the new house for an easy dinner of pizza, salad and cupcakes.

As the evening sun set, and our pizza cooled, we marveled at all the new surprises surrounding us, like our new neighbor's Cecile Brunner, cascading over the fence and in our view from the kitchen nook. :D

My absolute favorite part of the evening came when I looked up at the entryway chandelier, wondering what the heck to do with it - keep it or ditch it. Then, as if I'd never looked up at it before, I took notice of the view above. Just get a load of that spectacular oak tree hanging over the house! Needless to say, the controversial light fixture is out, and the view of the old growth oak tree is in.

New Couch Pillows

This weekend, I dusted off my sewing machine, and stitched a bunch of pillows for a girlfriend who was looking to add some color and pop to her living room.

I love sewing. Once you master the invisable zipper, pillows are a relatively quick project that provide big returns. Needless to say, the whole experience opened up a can of worms for me, and now I want to sew all new pillows for my living room couch.

It was so easy and sewing is sooooo therapeutic...

Ooooommm....ooooommm...

I've since delivered these to their new home but am now on a mission to brighten our living room (just a couple notches ;) with some new and colorful, hand-sewn pillows.

It just never ends...

Game Room - Before + After

I'm finally getting around to posting the last of the Denver clubhouse remodel pictures. Phew! This room, now the *Game Room* was originally the spa room - a space that no one ever, ever, ever used. However, it's right off the outdoor pool area, an area that gets loads of use by families in the summer.

We thought a lot about what to do with the space so that it would not just be appealing to prospective tenants, but that it would also get used! Behind every remodeled room in this project was a desire to provide tenants with inviting environments that encouraged them to come together, spaces that encouraged community! :)

After exploring the possabilies (a cabana-like space, a sports room), we decided on a game room.

Above is the spa room before, and below is the game room today.

I was in charge of the game room remodel, although I did use the color palette which had already been set by our interior designer in the upstairs clubhouse, and surrounding areas, and I did keep in mind the style that she set in the mood boards she presented.

Because this game room is right off the pool area, and next to the indoor bathrooms, I had to consider all the water that is tracked into the building by people running from the pool to the restroom. Because of this, I left the floors raw concrete and just used carpet tiles under to pool table and the foosball table. The pool table had been upstairs in the clubhouse before. We brought it down and I had it re-felted in a charcoal. I love these leather white chairs below, found on clearance. I know they will withstand a lot of use by young kids in wet swim suits!

'Agrarian Chic' Clubhouse - Before + After

I am so excited to share these photos! The project in Colorado is finished and everyone is thrilled! Our interior designer turned a drab, unloved apartment complex clubhouse into a colorful, inviting community space that residents are running to enjoy.

Today the tenants not only have the new clubhouse, but they also gained a multi-screen media room (once a storage closet), a game room (once a spa room [barely]), a fitness center and a business center. The staff also got a gorgeous new leasing office! Today I'm posting pictures of the designers portion. Due to budget, I took on the fitness room and game room, although it was heavily driven by her existing color choices, etc. Those pics tomorrow.

These were the main design guidelines I gave her:

• Add corrugated metal to the ceiling to really drive home the agrarian chic vibe 
• Add board and batt to the tall, vaulted ceiling
• Pops of color, with the primary one being a Kelly green to tie in with the property's new identity.
• Give us a barn door!

As you might guess (or not!), this was a relatively tight, tight budget. Every piece you see her is affordable and easily found in the marketplace.  I think she did an incredible job!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The ceilings are my favorite detail - stunning! And not terribly expensive to achieve considering the high impact they deliver.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

A coffee station was added (back right) as well as bistro tables and chairs (back left). We envisioned this place being where tenants could come together for down time, study sessions (there is a college next door), games, etc. Wi-fi is available through-out.

Here is a shot of the old storage closet that is now the media room:

Business center:

Our designer *said* this was one of her all time favorite projects in 20 years of business. She also *said* she loved the challenge of the tight budget. I choose to believe her. :)

Stay tuned for fitness and game room images, before and after! :) Until then, Happy Superbowl Sunday!!!

Model Apartment: Before + After

I had plans. Ohhhhhh, did I have plans. I was going to be out of town for four nights, first in Denver, then in Portland, and I was going to go back to my hotel room every night and just blog.

Blogblogblogblogblog.

No kids, no dinner to make, no nothing. Just fun creative work during the day, and blogblogblogblogbloging at night. But no. I didn't do it. Not even once.

It just came down to me being too wiped out at the end of each day to swing it. But now that I'm home...now that dinner has been made, eaten, cleaned...Now that the kids have been put to bed, the dog put out, etc., etc., I somehow have energy to upload some shots from the week.

How does that work?!

I will start from the end and (hopefully) make my way backwards through-out the weekend, as time permits. That means Portland model apartment tonight, before and afters.

I decorated this unit site unseen. Which was terrifying. I was supplied with the *before* shots, and given a floorplan with measurements. I was also given a very, very tight budget to furnish a two bedroom apartment with. It was all great fun! I loved the challenge of trying to get the best look with a tight budget. I shopped sales, weasled coupons, called customer service and begged for discounts. Whatever it took, I was happy to do. My "vision" (notice how I put that in quotes?), yes, my "vision" had to change daily as I found some good deal over here, that now made that look out of place over there, and so on and so on. But yes, it was a fun, fun project, not to mention, I totally fell in love with Portland.

Here it goes --

Dining Room View from Living Room (Before):

Dining Room View from Living Room (After):

Because the management offers residents the option to paint a single wall in each room a color of their choice, I took full advantage of that opportunity and painted and accent wall in each room.

Living Room (Before):

Living Room (After):

Master Bedroom (Before):

Master Bedroom (After):

The headboard above, which I love, arrived with a giant 14" gash along the top portion of it. Luckily when assembled it was high enough that it wasn't really visable, and so I just gave it a quick stitch to keep it from growing.

Bathroom (Before):

Bathroom (After):

I pumped up the unit with lots of little items that I picked up at a great store in Portland called HomeGoods. Think Ross (Dress for Less), only it's all home furnishings. I took tons of pictures inside the store that I will hopefully post. That was a good time... :)

Child's Room (Before):

Child's Room (After):

I love this twin bed frame (and bedding) from West Elm!! I got both for 30% during a pre-Xmas sale when they were offering a deep discount on something new, daily. The alphabet art was found on Etsy.

And my absolute favorite shot of the week:

 

'Agrarian Chic' Remodel Update

I just got an exciting email - an image of the progress in the clubhouse at the Colorado property I've been working on! (click here to get up-to-date on what the heck I'm referring to).

If you go to my original post on this project, from back in June, you'll see a before image from this exact angle. The above image is where they are today! The bat and board has been applied to about 75% of the clubhouse walls, the remaining with be smooth, accent color walls. The stucco ceiling was covered with corrugated steel panels to give it the effect of being in a barn. We built out the plaster covered beams in the ceiling to look like solid wood, therefore adding to the *agrarian chic* look. I just love to see it all coming together so quickly!

Stay tuned for more pics!

Guest Bath - Before + After

I've been helping a couple friends with some interior design projects and pulled this Makelike 'Lush' wallpaper for one of their entryways.

I thought it would just be incredible on all four walls, enveloping one into a cozy dream-like state before moving them towards a calmer, more subdude living area.

It didn't end up making the final cut for said entryway...but somehow, it ended up making it's way into our guest bath.

For me, it was a haunting pattern. I just couldn't get it out of my mind. I found relief when I held a sample of it up in the guest bathroom - I just knew it would be a great addition.

But I delayed in pulling the trigger, and I'm glad I did because several days later, I found it offered on a sample sale site for 50% off. Into cart. Checkout, please!

This day last year: "What I Saw At SFMOMA"

Kiddo Bath - Before + After

You may or may not remember that I suffer from a condition called OCDD. (For more information click here.)

I've had what you might call a *flare-up* in recent weeks. The impending holidays always throw me over the edge and I've been running around like a *chicken-with-its-head-cut-off*, nesting, so that I we can roost comfortably, all winter long.

Nothing gets me checking off boxes or nesting more quickly than the promise of dinner quests, or a newborn child. (Am not pregnant.) I may curse them in the hours before their ultimate arrival, but I relish every anxious moment of preparation leading up to said moment.

Meet Dian. She hangs wallpaper! And she does it very, very well. Yesterday she came over to help me with wallpaper project #4 and 5.

This is wallpaper project #4: "Jazz In Central Park" by UK designer Lizzie Allen.  It took me a long time to choose exactly which design of hers I wanted to hang. Because I studied design in London, while in college, the city nearest and dearest to Lizzie's heart, is close to mine as well. In the end, NYC won and I don't have any regrets.

Happy, happy wallpaper!

Lord help me should the two-year old take a crayon to this wall like his sister did a Sharpie to the kitchen cabinets.

Model Apartment: Before + After

Last week, I headed out to Denver, Colorado for a quick trip to visit this project which I've been working on for several months.  I met with the landscaper, who is almost finished with the exterior improvements, but the bulk of my time was spent remodeling the model apartment (!!!) as well as having it professionally photographed.  All of it was exhausting, but great, great fun!

A Beautiful Train Table

Even though I value wide open spaces, free of kids toys, I have secretly always wanted a train table. Behemoth as they may be, a train table can entrance any child for hours upon hours. The only problem was, I could never bring myself to spent hundreds of dollars on something as unattractive as this.  The only train table I've loved, cost almost $1000 (and can be viewed here).

Then I had an idea - what about taking one of those great LACK coffee tables from IKEA and turning it into a train table?

$40 later, we had a beautiful one that I was happy to share our living space with.

Gorgeous Fabrics

I've been thinking a lot about interior spaces lately...most notably, fabric.  To me, fabric can be down right intoxicating. It affects my heart rate and stimulates my sweat glands. The minute I see something I love, I get a little dizzy...and then I try to imagine just where I could squeeze a couple yards of it into my life.

My Latest Project

I've started working again.  I thought I didn't want it - I guess I was wrong.  I'm very excited for the opportunities coming up.

I was recently asked by the owners of a large apartment complex in Colorado, to provide creative direction on a total overhaul of the property. This does not mean I am the interior designer, that job has been given to an incredibly talented woman from Houston.  What it does mean is that I will determine the direction of the remodel and work directly with the designer so make sure it all happens in the best interest of the owners.

So. Much. Fun.

It's sort of ideal for me at this point in time. I get to use my creative juices a bit and I will have the invaluable opportunity to see how a very talented designer and business woman pulls it all together.  I figure this can only help in my own desire to move towards interior design myself. 

This complex needs a lot of work, which only makes things that much more exciting. I love change.

I feel we need to take the redesign in the *contemporary mountain ranch* direction.  The owners and the designer are all on board.  I pulled a bunch of inspiration online and compiled it onto a board on Pinterest. You can view my ideas here.

We have an aggressive time line to follow so expect to be seeing some exciting updates in the near future!