To Chalk Paint or Not

How do you feel about chalk paint? I can't decide. I really like the way it looks in the kitchen, especially when people draw/write cool things on it, but what about erasing? Is there dust everywhere? And when it has been erased over and over does it get messy looking?







Please enlighten me if you can!

[Images from top to bottom: Adore Magazine; Desire to Inspire; Design is Mine; Lonny Magazine; Freunde von Freunden]

PS: To the Google Reader folks, you got a sneak peak at Thursday's post! This is what happens when I try to do too many things after a long day. Spencer turns 5 on Thursday, and I was trying to get a jump start on his birthday post, but alas, somehow it published, and posts go straight into the old google reader. SO, on Thursday, the real birthday post will be up!

Kitchen Installation

Our latest house installment took place in the Kitchen...an island! Ahhhhh...more storage, larger work surface, extra seating. Speaking of which, I've been on the search for counter stools now. There are oodles of options out there...

I'm leaning towards stools with backs so the little munchkins don't fall back. I'll let you know what I decide on, and hopefully will have some Before and Afters soon!

[All images except the last one from My Home Ideas; I found this site through Nelya's blog]

Nesting

The day before I went into labor, I was in a serious nesting mode. Maybe I should've known! I started in the boys room, and finally have some before and after pictures to share...

[BEFORE]

[AFTER]

F

WHAT WE DID:

--Painted everything -- walls [Benjamin Moore Aganthus Green], doors, closet, molding

--Ripped up lovely 40-yr-old carpet and refinished hardwood floors

--Replaced windows

2 OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN THE ROOM:

1. The print from Yellow Monday:


2. Quilts from Anthropologie:

Labor Filled Weekend

Not baby labor [one month to go before that!], but work labor. My parents and sister came down to help us finish up some projects around the house -- hanging window treatments [to me, one of the most unpleasant things], putting in molding, more painting, etc, etc. And Weez came bearing gifts, beautiful gifts, like these pillows:

I love them. I've been detouring through the Living Room all weekend just to look at them. [The fabric is Lee Jofa]

And these curtains:

It's amazing to me what some window treatments will do for a place. I've got some more pictures to hang, and then I'm going to try and get some before + after pictures up. The place finally feels like it's coming together.

My dad also made this amazing play table for the boys, but I've got a separate post coming on that...

What else did we do? We watched football and we ate...a lot...Ben tried out the smoker for the first time this weekend, and it was a huge success...


Hope your weekend was a good one!

The Table

It's finished! Ben's table that he has been working on for quite a while [about 10 years from the time he chopped up the wood] is officially complete. We had our inaugural dinner party on it this weekend, and it was perfect. The table is made out of walnut that he got from a tree that had fallen in his friend's backyard. His friend called him and said "my landlord is about to cut this walnut tree up for firewood" -- can you imagine??!


Still trying to figure out seating since the Morrow chairs are no longer available...I keep thinking [hoping!] that they are going to reissue them...

In With the New

[Inside AFTER]

Here's a glimpse at our new windows! It's amazing what a difference they've made, both aesthetically and just the way the inside air of the house feels {so much less humid}. The old ones were metal, single paned, and levered open, so by this point in their old lives did not close fully, which is the reason the inside felt a little humid. The pictures are of the back room in our house.

Inside BEFORE:

DURING:

Outside BEFORE:
{not great of the whole window, but you get the idea, and the bonus of two cute little boys beating the summer heat!}

Outside AFTER:

We've still got to paint that room, I just can't seem to decide on a color...

Window Shopping

We are replacing all the windows in our house, and have changed our minds about the style more than a few times. It's tricky these windows, partly because our house is a mix between traditional and modern, and because it's a big decision, so we don't want to mess it up. The style of the house is not that 60's California cool with the big windows, which I love, but it's also not the traditional Georgia ranch. We took some tape over there and put up the different style grids, and have finally [I think!] decided on one. I came up with one solution for some "squat" window shapes on the side of the house that I am excited about. Hopefully, it will turn out as good as I'm imagining! It will be a while before we have the "after" pictures, so in the meantime, here are some inspiring window pictures...

Even More Fantastic

After my lighting post yesterday, Pam from Retro Renovation sent me this link -- she has the same pull-down light fixture as we do. Not only that, but she found the original sales catalog for it -- how cool is that?

[Pam's kitchen with light fixture above table]

[Original sales catalog from September 1959 --

the light is an Imperialite, made by Emerson-Imperial]

Maybe it's all these years being married to an historian, but I sure do love a good primary document!

Thanks again, Pam!

Light Fantastic

Remember all those decisions I was talking about? Lighting has been a big one. To me, ceiling lights are one of those things that you don't really notice at first glance unless it is really hideous or really spectacular. But, since we are having the entire house rewired, I've got to think about every socket. My brain is officially light-decisioned out. We put fans in 3 rooms, and for the others I found things at Ikea, Crate and Barrel and in 2 cases we are using what was there [it needed a little nod to the 60's!]. Here's what is in the former Dining Room, soon to be office:

One of it's finest features -- a retractable cord! --

We probably would've never discovered that feature if it hadn't been for our electrician -- how often do you yank on a chandelier?! I stumbled on a mid-century lighting gallery over at Retro Renovation, and saw this similar beauty:

Now if only I could get ours to shine like that one!

All that's left is the bathroom vanity lights. Since we are doing so much work on the bones of the house [wiring, plumbing, h-vac, windows - to name a few] we are on a bit of a budget, so I'm looking for steals! If the placement would've work, I would've snapped up a pair of these puppies in a second:

[George Kovacs single scone, regularly $150, on sale for $29.97!]

Anyone have any tips for buying bathroom lighting?

Mix + Match Chairs

We have an enormous dining room table for the new place [it's beautiful dark walnut], and sadly, PB doesn't make the white Morrow chairs that we have been using anymore. I love these chairs. They are perfect for a family with small kids -- inexpensive, easy to clean, look simple and sleek. So, I want to keep them around, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to do a little mix-n-match. In keeping with the small kid-friendly theme, as well as the same modern look, I'm leaning toward these Eames molded plastic side chairs.

It's so hard to imagine what they would look like mixed in together, but I figure if I buy something that I love and mix it with something else that I love, it can't be too bad, right?!

It looks like they have the Morrow barstools on sale, so I wonder if those are on the way out as well -- I'm thinking I should get some for a kitchen bar before they are gone...


What do you think about a little mix-n-match?