Saturday, March 24, 2018

Quarterly House Update

It's been another three months since I last checked in with the progress of our house, so I figured I was due. It's been a whirlwind of a winter around here. Some good, some not-so-good, but we ended winter with a snowfall that covered our house and lawn in a gorgeous blanket of white. Just when I think it's not possible to love the house more, I discover that we have the perfect sledding hill in our backyard!


We've been really busy with house updates too, including some major ones like a new deck and patio! Guys, it looks SO GOOD!! Dan and I worked with a couple of designers to get exactly what we wanted. It's a nice sized deck (14x16) with a large patio underneath (14x28). We wanted some area that was covered and some that was open so that we can have a fire pit. We also designed the stairs so that we maximized the patio area and still kept our view of the woods behind our house. It's been too cold/rainy/windy to use it so far, but I can't wait for the warmer months to test it out. 



We also have a kitchen backsplash! We originally were going to install it ourselves over winter break. That didn't happen. First, we had a much tougher time picking out tile than we thought. It took three rounds to find one we loved (including purchasing the full job's worth of tile of one before deciding we didn't like it). A lot of the ones we loved were glass, which was a bit intimidating. We were quickly running out of time when the kids were in day care but we were off work, so we decided to hire it out. Thank goodness we did! The tile guy spent an entire day just making his cuts--so.many.cuts. We LOVE how it turned out though. It adds so much depth and personality to the room. 


Another task we accomplished during winter break was organizing the basement. We wanted something that would be durable, functional, and pretty. Since it's meant for a kid's space, we didn't want anything too precious, so we went with some IKEA hacks. We were gifted the table and chairs, which I then painted a light blue and gray. We purchased this bookshelf, turned it on its side, and made a cushion for the top (tutorial coming soon). These adorable canvas bins fit perfectly in the cubbies. We flanked the bookshelf with these other cubes that came in this fun turquoise color. Then I painted some wooden letters to give it the final touch. 



Lastly, we finally got lights in Zahara's room and the master bedroom. I found an awesome deal over the holidays for this gorgeous capiz chandelier at nearly half off! I'll have to take a picture of it in her room. It looks stunning.


And our room got some glam with this crystal drop chandelier and ceiling medallion. We searched forever to find a light fixture we agreed on, and finally found this Pottery Barn stunner. But at more than $1,000 it gave me pause. Luckily, I found this nearly-identical knock-off from Overstock at only $200! Dan gave the metal part a quick coat of metallic spray paint to give it an antiqued finish, and it looks amazing. The rest of the room needs a bit of help. Slowly, but surely.


It's really coming together, don't you think? Still tons more to do, but I really love this place. Here is our to-do list from the last update. We're making progress!
  • Kitchen backsplash (we're doing this ourselves over winter break!)
  • Kitchen bar stools
  • Dining room table and chairs
  • Office furniture (have a desk, need a place for printer and files, etc.)
  • Mudroom build-out (need a place for coats, backpacks, shoes)
  • Basement organization (bookshelves, toy storage)
  • Basement guest room curtains
  • Master bedroom bedframe (we put our old one in the guest room )
  • Master bedroom curtains
  • Master bedroom furniture (probably a bench for the end of the bed and a chaise lounge)
  • Master bedroom light (it's roughed in, but we need a fixture)
  • Asher room light
  • Zahara room light
  • Guest room curtains (bedroom and bathroom)
  • Guest room nightstands
  • Decor throughout the house (nothing is on the walls yet and it's starting to drive me crazy!)
And a couple of new items to add:
  • Patio furniture
  • Deck furniture
  • Fire Pit?

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