JONESVILLE

We're Moving!! (Just Across Town...)

2022-02-03T13:15:00.002-05:00

If you would have told me that we would buy a house, sell our current house, and move within a month with a two month old and 21 month old I would have said you were crazy. But here we are, closed on a new house and listing our old house. It's just across town but it's double the size and has a huge open downstairs. It was built in 2000 so I won't have to worry about old house problems.

I have so many plans for this new house but it is already 100 times better than where we started with our last house. The only thing we'll do before we move in is paint the walls and change some faucets out.

The upstairs has all the bedrooms, the kitchen, dining, and a living room.

The kitchen has more counter space than our old house but is skinnier, so we'll have to get creative to make it feel more spacious.

The kitchen connects to the garage and has a closet for the washer and dryer.

The master is huge and has a giant window and a vaulted ceiling. The bathroom needs a lot of work but has a nice layout for the small amount of space. It has a huge walk in closet that I don't think we'll ever fill up with clothes.

The two other bedrooms are across the living room and are perfectly simple for the boys. They have a bathroom in between them that they will share.

And for the best part, the reason I was willing to sell my soul for this house... the downstairs. It is basically just one big open finished space. It has a temporary wall in the middle of it but I'm already planning on popping it down as soon as we can. It has a bar with a sink, and we'll probably add a fridge.

There is no shed, but there is a nice sized garage with a lot of storage that I can use for all my tools.

Finally one of my favorite selling points was the woods behind the backyard. While I still have plans o improve the yard, I can forsee all the memories we'll make playing in the trees.

I can see so much potential in this house. So many memories to be made, and I can't wait to get started. Head to my Insta stories to see a walk through.

Refreshing Our Mid-Century Modern Minimal Bedroom with AllModern

2021-03-01T00:36:00.002-05:00

This post is sponsored by AllModern.

Our bedroom is officially refreshed! I partnered with AllModern to give our bedroom a clean and modern refresh just in time for the spring weather that is starting to roll in, and dare I say, it's even better than my first go at this room! I still wanted to keep the mid-century modern style but bring it more on the neutral side of things.

My main goal with this refresh was to create a calm and tranquil space where we could unwind and I could quickly tidy up and feel serene. When I did the first update I stepped out of my comfort zone and got a really loud rug. It was great and everyone loved it, but after three years I felt like I had outgrown it. Switching to a neutral rug really changed the entire room's vibe, and it's so much more me.

The next area I knew would make a big impact was changing up the bedside lighting. I've long admired the minimal and modern pendant look but I have never been able to find the perfect ones for our room. Coming across these pendants gave me the perfect opportunity to try something new. The leather detailing and matter black shades fit in seamlessly to my modern and serene vision. I modified them to be a plug in instead of hard wired so I wouldn't have to run new electrical boxes to each side. Plus it gave me the chance to incorporate some exposed cord that I've been ogling everywhere.

I have never had a duvet before, but after sleeping with this one for a few nights, I'm hooked. It's soft and warm but still light and fluffy. It took me a while to stuff it and get all the wrinkles out but once I did it floated right onto the bed like it belonged there. The pin stripes were my step out of the box moment and it really paid off, they're the unsung hero of this refresh. Pair it with the softest blanket and you have a comfy place to unwind at the end of the day.

I wanted to do a DIY art piece and when I saw Leanne Ford's instagram post on her living room I knew it was the one(s). All it took was some canvas drop cloths, some paint from Walmart, and a little stitch on the sewing machine.

The nightstands and work lamp are both vintage from my grandparents so sorry I don't have links for them.

Two Towers is the best, don't at me Auston (he likes Return of the King).

It was the refresh I didn't know I really needed. After focusing so much of my time and energy into the little man and creating spaces for him it was nice to take a minute and spend some hours making our space a little more comfortable. Do you have any spaces that may have been neglected for a while and need some TLC?

SHOP THE POST

Minimal and Modern Primary Bedroom Refresh Mood Board

2021-02-22T10:35:00.000-05:00

Three years ago I tackled our bedroom during the Fall 2018 One Room Challenge. It turned out amazing and we have loved spending our time in here. Since then my style has changed, we've added another person to our family, and I'm really feeling the need to give it a refresh.

My main focus area is to change up the bedside lighting. I'm drawn to a pendant on each side to give the space some visual weight, and I'm really loving exposed cords lately so I'm thinking to swag them. These are some inspiration photos I found on Pinterest.

I'm trying to work with the big furniture we already have but making a few impactful changes like new pendants, new sheets, new rug, and some DIY art. When I did the first refresh I stepped out of my comfort zone and got a super colorful rug. It is very pretty but I've discovered I feel most peaceful when things are neutral.

This is going to be a quick but impactful refresh. I've already got the pendants and bedding, so be sure to follow along on my stories to see the behind the scenes.

SHOP THE POST

AllModern is my go-to place to find modern pieces that don't break the bank. Here are some of my favorites that I saved to my favorites list as I searched for things for this refresh.

Keep the inspiration going with AllModern for: Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Furniture, Mid-Century Modern Chairs, Mid-Century Modern Dressers, Headboards, Queen Beds, Mid-Century Modern Bedrooms We Love

$100 Room Challenge | Week 4: Kid's Playroom Reveal

2021-02-02T23:36:00.002-05:00

Whew I'm flying in at the last second with this challenge! I have about 2 more hours left before it is officially over but I can finally say the playroom is finished! $100 and every second of one month and we have a completely transformed used-to-be bedroom.

I am very partial to white walls, but I'm really happy I stepped out of my comfort zone and painted the mural. It was inspired by Jenna Sue's playroom plus Ashley's mural tutorial. One slight tweak though was because my projector was too small I actually ended up free handing it. It took longer than the projector would have but definitely worth it (you can check out Week 2's post all about the mural). It was blank and lifeless and the mural really just brings the joy into the space, highlighted by his toy shelf.

One of the biggest uses of space is our Nugget cushions we got for Christmas. They are so much fun already and make for a soft space for me to sit while baby is playing. On this wall I also added his movement area that includes a mirror with a bar for him to pull up on and learn to walk.

He already loves to endlessly flip pages of his books so I know this reading corner is going to see so much use. I hung them at a low level where he can get to them, it also doubles as something sturdy for him to pull up on. These are from Ikea and we love them.

The wall on the right when you come in is the future murphy bed wall so I put a temporary little baby photo gallery wall up.

We got a new rug for the baby's room so I moved his old one in here to lighten the room up. Shopping your house really is the best way to change things up!

It was a pain to find a way to hang the mirror in some studs so it couldn't be ripped down, and I finally found a solution with these slide-in holders. Then I painted some faux-looking black brackets with plain acrylic paint.

One of my favorite places to find art and photographs us Unsplash. It is completely free (as long as you use them for personal use) and they have everything under the sun.

Budget Used

Paint - $60
(2) Frames - $24

TOTAL: $84 (finalyyyyyy under budget!)

Already Had

8x10 Rug
Circular Rug

Ikea Shelves

Toy Shelf

MontiKids Toys

Radio Flyer Walker Wagon

Nugget Comfort Cushions

Mirror (vintage)

Dowel & Supports

Square Pour

SHOP THE POST

That was a longggg month! The mural may have gone on forever but sitting in there and seeing the baby play in front of it while the sun hits it just right is magic.

I may be screeching in on two wheels for this reveal but there are still so many great ones that you need to check out!

$100 Room Challenge | Week 2 & 3: Painting a Wall Mural

2021-01-20T11:38:00.005-05:00

Week 2 was a total bust for me, ergo why there was no post. My plan was to tell you all about the wall mural I decided to do and have a little progress on starting it, but none of that happened. Week 3 however was very productive!

Btw if you missed the befores (you didn't miss much) you can check out Week 1's post or if you don't know what the $100 Room Challenge is you can check out Erin's blog.

Let's get into my inspiration for this mural: Ashley from the Goldhive's wall mural tutorial but doing the scene from Jenna Sue's most recent playroom, and turned it into a monochromatic paintable mural. I picked up a few colors on the same rack (without testing on the wall eek) at Home Depot and ended up with Behr's Green Scene, Sustainable, Washed Olive, Windmill.

I had a projector but since it was old I needed to get a vga to hdmi adapter so I could project the mural from my computer. That took like 3 days, and when I got it and set it all up, the projector couldn't get big enough to cover the wall. So I basically wasted those days.

Needless to say I was pretty bummed. After being frustrated for a good half hour I decided to stop wasting time and just freehand it. To do that I divided the rendering on photoshop into a grid and cut out where the doors were, then also divided the wall into the same grid so I could transpose the mural onto the wall.

Once the outlines were up I started painting with the darkest color, Green Scene, because it was the largest color and I could start filling in the smaller, lighter colors next. It took two coats to get a solid color which takes a little extra time, but since the coats aren't very thick it dries as fast as I can finish.

After working on it for a few hours I got all of the large colors done and started on the secondary colors. I can see it's going to take a few more naps (or gazillion), but I love how it is turning out already. I've missed painting on canvas and this is really soothing my creative outlet when it's too cold to do projects outside.

Wow that was such an unproductive and productive 2 weeks! I've been sharing behind the scenes and progress photos on my stories so be sure to catch me there. There are a smaller number of participants this go-around but they are SO good, so don't miss them! Next week is the reveal, what?! So be sure to stop back by for some crazy after photos.

$100 Room Challenge | Week 1: Turning The Guest Room Into A Playroom

2021-01-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

Every year I'm surprised when January rolls around and it's time for another $100 Room Challenge. This is my 9th (I definitely had to count that twice) round and each time I love stretching my creative juices and meeting new people in a short 4 weeks. Baby Jones is going to be 1 in April, I don't know where the time went, and he is itching to start getting around on his own. I moved some of his play things into our spare bedroom, but I think it's time to turn it into a formal playroom!

In case you weren't around in 2017, here are all the $100 Room Challenges I've done so far. You can definitely see my DIY skills progress over the years.

September 2020 - Organized Modern Shed

January 2020 - Modern Hallway Refresh
September 2019 - Shed Exterior
January 2019 - Tool Closet
September 2018 - Full Bathroom
January 2018 - Modern Hallway
September 2017 - Carport
July 2017 - Modern Half Bath

Right now we still have the full bed in this room. Even though we don't use it very often, it's nice to have when we need it but it takes up entirely too much space in our 1300sf house. Auston said something about making it fold up and I immediately knew I wanted to build a murphy bed. But with the $100 budget, that's a project for next month. For this challenge I'm going to change everything to a playroom except they murphy bed.

We rotate toys so one big need is to re-work the closet space into usable toy storage. Above his toy shelf I'd like to put some pretty pictures for him to look at.

We got him a Nugget for Christmas and it is the besttt. I'll store that in some corner, probably the one by the door to the backyard since we never use it.

Since I'm not building anything or making major changes, this challenge will be a pretty simple and boring one for you guys. But I'll take you along for the ride because this group is the best.

A Big Exterior Update! Painting Our Eaves and Windows Black

2020-10-06T09:47:00.001-04:00

Since we moved in this house 4 years ago one big thing on my to-do list is repaint the eaves. Last year we replaced the grey roof with this beautiful black one I started thinking about tackling the eaves. I got stalled with choosing a color and then it was too cold out and then I was too pregnant. Fast forward to July and I finally started gathering my energy to start this project!

We have made huge strides on this house exterior already, replacing the roof alone upped it's curb appeal by a thousand, but I knew painting the eves and gutters would make it feel complete.

I took this project on 15 minutes at a time while the baby was taking naps. Naps started lengthening and I started getting more and more done, but it was still dragging on. July turned into August and by September I finally finished!

Before I go on, I used Behr's exterior Marquee paint color matched to Sherwin Williams' "Tricorn Black" in eggshell. It may the best black every created and possibly what I'll paint my future house.

I used a brush on 99% of this project, Auston rolled the eaves on the right side of the house that was too high for me to reach safely with the brush. There were so may edges that needed to be brushed that by the time it was done there was only a sliver left to paint, so I just skipped the roller.

This project wouldn't have taken so long if I hadn't decided half way through that I wanted to paint the windows too. It just didn't look right with the eaves painted and the windows not. Each window has a storm window on top so it took twice as long to take them all down and paint. But look at how awesome they look!

Auston cuts this side of the house in a curve so it photographs with this cool fisheye look.

The backyard still needs SO much work, but I keep telling myself I need to remember how far it's come. The shade/sun grass seed we put out only took to the shady parts of the yard so we need to find a better one to put in the sunny spots. I have no idea what that random spot of white is on the utility room but I need to get the paint out and make it match the rest of the brick. (You can see the cardboard that's in the nursery windows to block light for baby's naps.)

I also need to build the two or three steps up to the backdoor where the porch used to be. The tentative plan is to do a paver patio are where the porch used to be and maybe build a firepit surrounded by some chairs.

It's so much more welcoming to drive up to this non-chipping black backdrop. It took a while, but it was definitely worth it. I still have plans to do some landscaping and possibly add some kind of shutters. Maybe even a window box or two.

I used almost 3 gallons for this project, so it only totalled about $150. If you worked all day I think we could have gotten it done in a full weekend, so don't let how long it took me scare you. Are you thinking about painting your exterior?

SHOP THE POST

$100 Room Challenge | Week 5: Organized Modern Shed Reveal

2020-09-30T09:17:00.001-04:00

I can't believe my 8th (!!!) $100 Room Challenge is already over! It took me three weeks to really get going on this project but once I started painting it really began to come together. In just 5 weeks we went from dingy and brown to white and bright! Before you couldn't even see the floor because it was covered in stuff, now the floor is almost bare. So much room for activities! I actually had so much room from adding the pegboard wall that I brought in stuff from my tool closet in the house.

Week 1: The Shed Interior Befores
Week 2: Cleaning & Painting the Shed Interior
Week 3: Painting, Painting, Painting
Week 4: Installing the Peg Board Wall

5 weeks ago this shed was a grimy and non-functional place. It was where we put things we didn't intend to get to because going in here just made you want to take a shower.

I mean can you even believe this is the same space! It just reignites my creativity and makes me want to start on the next project.

Installing the pegboard really was the best use of this space. It gets everything off the floor and is completely customizable. If I get new tools or get rid of something all I need to do is move some hooks around.

My dad gave me this awesome tool box that I knew would fit perfectly in the center of the wall. However, I do need to find the key because I may or may not have misplaced it. I used some long hooks and put some pieces of scrap wood up to create a makeshift shelf to put my spray paints on.

One of my biggest priorities was having a large space to maneuver the lawn mower in and out.

Another hand-me-down was this 5" vise from my granddad. I was going to get rid of it because I didn't know if I'd ever use it but once I cleaned it up I knew it just had to stay.

I also wanted to create a space for our outdoor sports stuff. All of our discs for disc golf were stuffed in a bag and getting them out to display really makes them more accessible. Next to that is paint space which I wasn't planning on doing, but once I had so much extra space it just fit perfectly.

My original plan was to put shelves back on each side, but, I ran out of money for this $100 challenge. So, after this reveal I'm going to spend my October project budget putting those up and customizing this space even more.

That's a wrap! I grabbed a few extra hooks at the end so I went a few dollars over, but I round up in my accounting so I'm still happy. There is so many great participants this round so be sure to check all of them out below.

Budget Used
Behr Paint "Ultra Pure White" — $25
Behr Paint "Shadow Mountain" — $5
(3) Pegboard — $55
Pegboard Hooks — $20

TOTAL: $105

SHOP THE POST

$100 Room Challenge | Week 4: Installing the Peg Board Wall

2020-09-25T16:59:00.003-04:00

These weeks are really flying by! It's been a full 4th progress week for me, I installed the pegboard wall, painted the floors, finished painting the walls and ceiling, and dropped a nap. Only one more week until the reveal! Let's jump right into some progress pictures.

Week 1: The Shed Interior Befores
Week 2: Cleaning & Painting the Shed Interior
Week 3: Painting, Painting, Painting

First thing I did was finish painting the right side of the floor, ceiling, and walls. Note to self when painting a floor: don't leave your coffee mug on the other side of the floor you're painting. Once it was primed I put a coat of the grey paint down. It's a great warm shade of grey that looks like concrete and I completely lucked out by finding it in the "oops" section, which is paint that was tinted but people returned before using so they're marked down to $5. I looked up the formula and it is called "Shadow Mountain".

Next I put the backer boards up to secure the pegboard to and painted them white. The hardest part about this was making sure they lined up to the holes on the pegboard.

I used 1.25" drywall screws with a washer to secure the pegboards to the backer boards. It's not really difficult, just awkwardly heavy so I had to have Auston help me hold it up while I put the screws in.

I put the bottom backers up since the pegboard wasn't big enough to cover the whole wall. I didn't necessarily need the bottom part pegboard-ed, but it looked unfinished without it. So I scrapped putting the shelves up since the extra sheet would push me over the budget and decided to finish the whole wall.

I forgot to paint the bottom backers white but once I got the pegboard up it looked fine.

Once the right side was done I moved all the tools from the left side over. I did the exact same thing on the left side: backers, pegboard, paint floor.

That's how far I got! All that's left is to finish the grey on the floor and get everything organized!

Budget Used

Behr Paint "Ultra Pure White" — $25

Behr Paint "Shadow Mountain" — $5

(3) Pegboard — $55

SHOP THE POST

$100 Room Challenge | Week 3: Painting, Painting, Painting

2020-09-15T07:00:00.004-04:00

There's nothing like how time flies when you're doing a project on a deadline! This week went by crazy fast for me, so I made just a little progress on the shed. Progress is progress! Week 3 and I've been painting all weekend. To be fair, I got really distracted with moving dressers around in the house which turned into hanging our tv which turned into running the cables through the wall, so I put this project on the back burner for a minute but I've hit a stall waiting for some Amazon boxes and I got some more painting done in the shed.

Week 1: The Shed Interior Before

Week 2: Cleaning & Painting the Shed Interior

I started working my way across the ceiling and towards the other side. I started to paint the floor, but once I saw how bad it looked with dirt on it I think I've decided to paint it with the leftover black I used for the exterior eaves and windows. Then I don't have to spend any extra money and the floor won't look constantly dirty.

2 more weeks and I've got big plans for this next progress week! Hopefully I can get the painting finished and the pegboard up. After that I can focus on how to organize all the things I need to.

There are so many good participants this round, be sure you check them all out!

SHOP THE POST

Installing Peel & Stick Faux-Tile in the Kitchen

2020-09-14T21:26:00.002-04:00

There are not many things you want to do when you're 6 months pregnant (back in January), but I had just started feeling better from my first and second trimester sickness and wanted to check a few things off my to-do list before baby got here. One task was to tile the backsplash in the kitchen. I was planning to use real tile, but when I decided I wanted to also do the door wall I started getting major scope creep. I didn't have the budget, time, or energy to tile that much so when I came across this great subway looking peel and stick tile, I instantly bought some to try!

It wasn't bad to start with, it was just missing something.

The first step was prepping the walls. Since this was peel and stick tile, I thoroughly cleaned all the walls and smoothed out any bumps or scratches. The tile comes in 10 large sheets per box and you just peel the back paper off. The directions say just to apply the tiles directly to the walls but since our house is old we don't have any flat walls so I decided to use some liquid nails behind each sheet. Laying the sheets out is like a puzzle and you just use a box cutter to cut the sheets to fit! I'm not going to lie, it was pretty meticulous to get everything lined up and straight, so you may not want this to be your first diy.

This project started to drag because I kept needing one more box of tiles. And one more box. I needed 4 more boxes than I originally bought, so it was a total of 6 boxes at $30 a box (for a total of $180). It ended up being more than I thought I would spend on this project, but it was so worth it and significantly cheaper than doing real tile.

I took this project in pregnant-energy bursts, so it took a few weeks, but you could knock it out in a solid day! It really made such a huge difference and I'm glad I got it done before babe got here. I'd love to take it down and put some real tile up before we leave this house but this is a really great stand-in until then.

SHOP THE POST

$100 Room Challenge | Week 2: Cleaning & Painting the Shed Interior

2020-09-09T14:26:00.003-04:00

Week 2 of the $100 Room Challenge and we are in full swing reno mode! Most of this week I spent cleaning out most of the shed. I removed a thousand random nails from every corner imaginable and shop-vac'ed all of the cobwebs.

Week 1: The Shed Interior Befores

I took down the makeshift shelf the person who put this together installed on both sides. One side was very thin plywood that was rotting and the other side was moldy drywall. Since we store so many large tools in here, I don't really want them sitting outside or in the carport for these few weeks so I am working on one side while I move all the tools on the opposite side, then I'll switch that way I can do all of this without taking things out.

When I tore off the makeshift pegboard on the back wall I could see the pretty original light color of the plywood, which really wasn't bad it has just aged and is now very dark brown. Since the tin has grooves in it, I decided just to just use a brush. I could roll the plywood but all the fine grooves made it easier to just use a brush.

Instead of getting a tinted paint, I opted this time to just go for an untinted Behr Ultra Pure White. Meaning I just grabbed a paint can off the shelf and didn't have them color it. I wanted it to be as bright as possible in here and this base white is as white as you can get. I am the messiest painter in the world so I always use the same painting shirt and shorts but I never paint without my Handy Paint Pail, it is literally my sidekick.

Budget Used

Behr Paint "Ultra Pure White" — $25

This next week I'm hoping to continue painting and get the entire left side painted. I haven't decided what shelves or pegboard I'm going to do yet so I'm just going to paint first and then decide that later. I also think I'm going to cut a piece of plywood to put above the electrical box because for some reason they left that open and it looks unfinished.

I already feel a little bit cleaner when I walk in and don't feel like bugs are going to attack me.

SHOP THE POST

$100 Room Challenge | Week 1: The Shed Interior Befores

2020-09-02T06:49:00.001-04:00

Wait, is it September already? It seems like January was simultaneously yesterday and 10 years ago. I'm not sure if the time warp is because of being first time parents or from all the craziness going on in the world right now. Either way, I need a outlet to focus my creative juices on. The $100 Room Challenge fall round came at the perfect time. Last year I focused on the exterior of the backyard shed, because I was 6 weeks pregnant I didn't get to the interior so I'm taking it on this year!

Woah back up, what is the $100RC? Basically we have $100 and one month to transform an entire space. Erin from Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry created the challenge in September 2015, meaning this is the 5th anniversary! My very first challenge was in July 2017 and I've participated ever since then (dang that's 7 times!), that's how much I love this group.

January 2020 - Modern Hallway Refresh

September 2019 - Shed Exterior

January 2019 - Tool Closet

September 2018 - Full Bathroom

January 2018 - Modern Hallway

September 2017 - Carport

July 2017 - Modern Half Bath

Flash back to three years ago when we moved in and this backyard shed scene was very different. It was covered in garbage and inches of sand and leaves and we hadn't cut down the two massive trees that were blocking all of the sun.

Inside it is just basic plywood. Randomly spaced nails line the back wall and there are two small shelves on either side. Surprisingly the electrical still works!

My plan is to go fully white! Since it is such a small and dingy space I'd like to brighten it up and add lots of storage. Initially my thought is to add a pegboard along the back wall to accommodate all of our yard tools and hanging things.

I've gotten a white interior inspiration from this picture and this one. One is a little warmer than the other so I do have to decide on the undertone I want to go with.

This pegboard gave me some inspiration to do a whole wall and this one has some shelf inspo. The common theme is to make an airy and organized space to store all our stuff.

This September we have 5 Wednesdays so we get an extra week to work! This next week I plan to clean everything out and prep it for paint. Just by glancing around I can see a majority of work will be getting the one thousand nails out, but I think I can get that done in one nap.

Wish us luck! And be sure to follow me on Instagram, I share a majority of my daily progress in my Stories. Below you can catch all the other participants, the list grows every year!

SHOP THE POST

Phase 2 Half-Bathroom Refresh

2020-06-17T07:00:00.008-04:00

One of my projects on my "To-Do Before the Baby" list was to refresh the half bathroom that connects the master bedroom and the nursery, and I got it done just in time as baby Jase arrived a week later. 10 weeks later and I'm finally getting around to writing a post about it. For my very first $100 Room Challenge I tackled the first phase where I painted, laid flooring, and built shelves. As my style has changed in the past 2 years I found myself not utilizing this space much because I didn't like it. With the baby coming I wanted to make it "my" space where I could spend time on myself, all for less than $50.

Here's how it looked when we moved in. (I had taped off the black part of the "faux" plastic tile.)

Then in 4 weeks I made it into a prettier, more usable space with $100 (see the reveal here).

2 years of living in it and moving things around, here's how it looked for the official before photos for this Phase 2.

Initially in my project to-do list I mentioned I wanted to finish leveling the floor, install real tile, and do a wall treatment. After thinking about the reality of that plan I realized I could do a scaled down Phase 2 and save those bigger projects for later on in our house journey, and not 7 months pregnant.

I thought I would resurrect the medicine cabinet that had originally been in here and paint it matte black. I dug the cabinet out of storage, painted it, but when I went to put it up it was too big. Turns out this was the one that goes in the full-bathroom, not the half-bath. The one that goes to this bathroom I (now) remember throwing out because it was cracking down the middle. Bust. Even though it frustrated me, I decided to put the freshly painted cabinet back up in the full bathroom to give us some more storage and move the mirror from there into this bathroom.

My first step for Phase 2 was to build the open shelves. I copied what I did for the $100 Room Challenge for the full bathroom where I just used premium pine boards and spray painted L brackets. Getting the lowest shelf up first was important so I could set the mirror on it and decide how high to hand the upper shelf.

Hanging shelves aren't difficult, just be sure to secure it to a stud (which are a pain to find in this old house, but this handy stud finder is amazing and only $25), and I always use #2 construction screws. Those are the ones you have to use a star-head bit on your drill. I usually use #2 2" screws for these shelves, unless it's cabinets when I use 3.5" screws because they have to hold a lot more weight..

I decided to paint the faux-tile black that I had previously painted white. One of the things I disliked about this space was there was too much white, shocker I know. For Phase 1 I used left-over vinyl marble tile we had from the kitchen and it made the entire space so white. The vinyl tile didn't stand out because there was nothing anchoring your eye. By painting it black it also carries from the black tile in the full bathroom, making everything feel cohesive.

I got a quart of Behr's Limousine Leather for $10 and an old paint brush and went to town on all the grout lines. Every paint brand has a perfect black, I think Limousine Leather is Behr's. It is perfectly warm and cool and has enough depth to not be bland.

After a few coats, it was time to paint the grout lines. Yes, hand painting the lines was a super tedious job and took the longest time but it was worth it.

Assembling the Ikea sink cabinet was not hard, but it was my first solo plumbing job. Nothing like being 8 months pregnant and trying to figure out how to drain a sink! It ended up not being that hard because it was only a drain and not a supply line.

I wasn't in love with the pulls that came with the vanity but I also couldn't picture regular hardware on it, so I decided to DIY some leather pulls. I just cut some strips from a scrap of crafting leather I had and used two cabinet knob screws to secure them to the doors.

This project didn't take that much time in pregnancy terms and probably could have been completed over a long weekend.

Can we just take a minute and admire this bowl my mother in law made for me!

I spend so much more time in here now that I like to actually be in here! Do you have spaces like that where just a little updating will give it new life?

SHOP THIS POST

We Got An Out-Of-The-Box Mattress (& $130 Off Coupon Code!)

2020-02-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

So many times I've marveled at those mattresses that come in a box and wondered if they really are as comfortable as a regular from-the-store mattresses and do they really come in a box that small? We bought a new one from a store when we moved in and it worked great for about 2 years. But when Auston started having back and hip pain from the divot that had formed on his side, we knew it was time to start looking again. We know we want to invest in a good sleep number bed but that will probably be a purchase we make when we build in a few years. Until then it finally gave us the opportunity to do some research and online shop for one of those fancy out-of-the-box mattresses!

After a lot of research and narrowing down things by price, reviews, features.... we finally settled on Layla Sleep!

First of all, yes, it did come in a box! We pulled it out and laid it on the bed frame, wondering if it really would inflate enough to support us. After we got the outside wrapper off and unrolled it, it immediately started hissing as it started to inflate. Then the inside wrapper came off and we waited... after 5 minutes it looked like a regular mattress!

One of the major things we liked about this mattress is it has two firmness options in one mattress: firm or soft. You can set it up to face whatever your preference is, and if you ever want to change you just flip it over! It also is made with copper which is supposed to keep it cool, something that really caught our eye.

It also looks so cool and modern with it's pretty hex pattern. It's also really soft and honestly if it wouldn't get gross we would sleep directly on it.

It also came with two king sized pillows that also came in the box and inflated like the mattress. I just ordered these silk pillow cases for them (they had thousands of great reviews).

We still need to sleep on it for a few weeks and then report back on our findings, but the preliminary consensus is that we like it, but Auston says it has already helped with his pain.

For the first 20 people who comment, email (jonesvilleblog@gmail.com), or DM me I'll send you a $130 off coupon code to use!

SHOP THE MASTER BEDROOM

A Not-So Conventional Topic: Bidets (We LOVE Ours)

2020-02-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

What's more awkward than talking about bathroom habits in America? Before this post, I would have said nothing. Now it's all I want to talk about because this bidet really changed our entire outlook on bathroom topics. In other developed countries, bidets are the norm. I've hardly heard of friends who travel overseas and not have a bidet experience. But for some reason America hasn't gotten on the bandwagon, and that was us, until about a month ago.

For the past 6-8 months I've had ads and things come up for Tushy, a bidet attachment you can add to any toilet. It caught my eye because of it's minimal and sleek design. I honestly had never given them any thought because it wasn't a part of our culture, but the more it popped up the more I was interested in it.

I started doing some research and was planning on bringing it up to Auston to see what his thoughts were. Then as we were driving in the car he said, "I've been thinking about getting a bidet." Providence lept in and we both decided to go with a Tushy Classic bidet attachment in white/bamboo we could install in our full bathroom.

So what exactly is a bidet?
A bidet at it's core is some kind of fixture to wash your underside. It can have a million features like a heated seat, sound effects, heated water, etc. but the main goal is to shoot water at your bum to get you clean.

Why did we go with a Tushy?
One of the main reasons I wanted a Tushy is because of it's minimal design and range of color options, but a huge reason is that it only needed a water supply, not a power supply. This means the flow of water is the only thing it needs to work. This makes installation a breeze. They also have awesome marketing and really win you over with their cheeky (ha) marketing and informational videos.

How hard is it to install?
Even if you've never done anything DIY in your life, you can install this bidet. All you do is turn off the water to the toilet (simple as turning the knob), connect the Tushy supply line with the attachment it comes with, take off your toilet seat, place the Tushy, and pop your seat back on. They even give you a step by step video link so you can see exactly how it's done.

What exactly does it do?
We opted for the Tushy Classic. It's just one simple knob that turns the bidet on/off and a little lever that adjusts the forward/backward tilt (makes it easy to aim anywhere on your bum). The further you turn the knob the more pressure it gives. So you can have a nice light stream or a full on deep clean. What I also appreciate about this particular bidet is you can turn the knob to the left and it cleans the bidet part that shoots the water out in the toilet bowl, taking the effort of cleaning it out of the equation.

The Tushy Spa adds another knob for temperature control, but since space is a premium in this small bathroom we decided to not have another supply line going to the sink's hot water line.

Adding this to our already slow closing with a magnetic toddler seat toilet seat really has upped the function of this bathroom and we're all about maximizing function in our 1300 SF house.

Here are Auston's thoughts:

"It's baffling to me that conventional American perception has fallen so far behind other countries where bidets are concerned. I promise once you start using it you'll have a hard time using the bathroom in places that don't have one."

Ease of installation: 10/10
Ease of use: 10/10
Recommendation: 10/10

Are you convinced yet? I know I was skeptical before we had one. Maybe you're ready to pull the trigger but don't want to drop a bunch of money on one or maybe you're fully convinced and ready to get one with all the bells and whistles (it's seriously crazy how many things it can do), so here's two different budget breakdowns!

Budget Bidets

Splurge Bidets

If you end up getting one, please let me know what you think of it! I've also heard that it's great for hemorrhoids and postpartum care, so many benefits to so many different phases of life.

SHOP THE BATHROOM

2nd Trimester Update (30 Weeks!)

2020-02-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Now that I am officially in my third trimester (!!!), I thought I'd give you guys an update on how it's been going for me and some products that I couldn't have made it through the past 12 weeks without. In my 16 week update I shared how difficult my first trimester was. Unending nausea and throwing up and losing so much weight because I wasn't able to eat. Finally around week 21 my nausea went away due to finding the right medicine and ever since then it's been typical pregnancy stuff!

SHOP THE NURSERY

Today starts Week 30! My pregnancy app (Flo) keeps comparing him to circular vegetables which would be great if he were circular. I mean I guess he is living in there like a pokeball. Every now and then I start to feel like I've got this pregnancy thing down, then I have a bad day. But overall, I'm just thankful I can eat again.

Now that I'm feeling better, I've been able to check things off my to-do before baby list a little at a time. I completed the hallway refresh, almost completed the half-bath refresh, put the finishing touches on the shed ramp, and finished "tiling" half the backsplash. I'll put all of it in a post but the good behind the scene stuff is on my InstaStories.

He moves ALL the time. Sometimes it's small movements, must most often he breaks out the gloves and does his speed bag routine. He's getting stronger every day which means its starting to be more painful, but I just keep reminding myself that he's happy and healthy. He's usually calm when I'm working out or doing some physical activity, we walk and stretch every day and most days do a modified exercise routine.

I'm putting together a list of products I've loved during pregnancy, but I can already tell you that this cocoa butter stretch mark lotion is everything. I put it on twice a day and it has relieved any itching that may have started. I also take epsom salt baths pretty regularly. They seem to calm him down and it's nice for his weight to be taken off my back.

And finally due to overwhelming demand, here is the only bump pic I've taken. I am not one of those women who feel all glowy while pregnant, and I have not felt the need to capture that, but hey that's just real life. He may not look big, but let me assure you the he is all up in my business. I don't know where my intestines or lungs have gone, and my stomach is in my chest. In short, be happy if your baby is positioned so you have a big bump. Rib pain is no joke.

Baby Jase you're worth every painful breath though.

Budget Room Refresh: Mid-Century Modern Living Room with AllModern ($1,500)

2020-02-10T10:08:00.002-05:00

Our living room is one area that I have yet to touch with a real project. Almost everything in here, except for the drop cloth curtains, was bought. We love our deep sofas and our most recently acquired West Elm coffee table, but everything else is pretty much temporary. I've even started to outgrow the ever popular faux fiddle leaf fig, even though I do like something "green" in here. So I've teamed up with All Modern to put together a mid-century modern refresh for this room — for $1,500!

Mid-century modern can mean a lot of things, but one of the best places I've found to source true MCM pieces is All Modern. Even if you don't like the whole space being "mid-century modern", you most likely have a piece or two already in your space because the style is so timeless and classic. $1,500 may be too much for your budget all in one go, but by saving up and getting one piece at a time you can get this entire refresh in no time.

First on my list is to get this wooden console with drawers to house under the tv to hold all our board and video games. Then we can hang the tv on the wall and gain more storage on the top. At $300, it is comparable to getting one from IKEA, but looks three times as good!

Next on my priority list is to find a storage solution for books, odds & ends, and small things. I found this really pretty acacia wooden one with white shelves for $280. It would fit perfectly by one of the windows or in the corner where the current faux fiddle leaf is.

Since the sofas are in good shape and not too ugly, replacing them will be very last on the list. But when the time comes, the Gilbert Boxed Arm sofa caught my eye. At $590, it's affordable (in sofa terms) and has nice, clean lines perfect for creating a MCM space. Of course rounding out the refresh with a tripod floor lamp, natural wooden end table, and a cream knit throw I could curl up in for days is the perfect finishing touch.

Shop all these pieces directly from the mood board below — just click on the product!

I know I like budget-friendly ways to refresh a space, and this one has me excited for what our living room could be! Even though baby will be here soon (t-minus 11 weeks!), I can accomplish this refresh from my bed and a little help from Auston with the set up. Do you have an small budget refreshes planned for this year?!

Cardone Tripod Floor Lamp // More Modern Lamps	Gilbert Boxed Arm Sofa // More Mid-Century Sofas	Posner TV Stand // More Mid-Century Furniture
Payton End Table // More End + Side Tables	Erin Ladder Bookcase // More Modern Bookcases	Maysville Throw // More Blankets & Throws

New Runner for the Hallway (Less than $200!)

2020-02-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last week we revealed our less than $100 Hallway Refresh where I painted, put up frames, did some DIY art, and scored an awesome coat rack. It was my last $100 Room Challenge for a while, but I'm still trying to check projects off the list before baby gets here. One of those projects was to find a runner for our extremely long, hardwood hallway. I honestly don't know why rugs are so dang expensive. I mean, I understand economics and the cost of making something but that doesn't comfort me when I'm searching the internet for a budget-friendly runner.

I knew the space wasn't finished after the $100 update, without a runner it just looked empty and the hardwood creaked a lot.

Trying to find a 16 foot runner that didn't look cheap or cost an arm and a leg was difficult. I finally searched one of my favorite stores, CB2, and found the perfect black and white 8ft runner. But I needed 16 feet... So, thanks to a holiday sale and a $50 gift card I've been hoarding for a few years, I bought two 8 foot runners for a total of $175 which was a steal.

They ended up backorded until January, which was fine because I wasn't going to include them in the $100 refresh. When they finally got here I was nervous because it was so different than the other rugs I've bought (but don't love). After letting them lay on the floor for a night and waking up to see them there in the morning, I knew they were the direction my style is evolving towards — clean lines and textured neutrals.

Once I decided to keep them I needed to stitch them together. I originally thought I could use my sewing machine and it'd be done in a minute, but the fabric ended up being too thick for the machine. Plan B wasn't so bad, I just hand stitched it with some thick needle and thread. The tassles on the ends came off easily because they were only looped on the ends. You can barely even see the seem!

It really was the missing piece to this hallway and makes the gallery wall even that much prettier.

We're still waiting on the rug pad to get here so it doesn't slide everywhere but we've been happy with what we've had for the past few days.

Am I the only one with super long hallway challenges?! Surely not. If stitching together two rugs has never crossed your mind, let me know if you attempt it! The $$ I saved and being able to make exactly my vision come together really was worth it.

SHOP THE POST

Etsy Finds: Ceramic Mugs

2020-02-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

The older I get the more I appreciate the beauty and quality of handmade things. One of the best (if not the only) places I've found to discover new artists and their works is Etsy. If you don't know what that is, I'm sorry because you're about to spend hours going down the rabbit hole of beautiful creations.

As I'm starting to think about replacing old dishes, I've found myself drawn to more handmade, unique pieces. I spent hours scouring Etsy for the best ceramic mugs, ones that would make any kitchen shelf truly stand out. All those hours added up to a really beautiful collection of mugs and I thought I may save you hours by doing a roundup of all my favorites.

Source: Studio McGee

These are the favorites of my favorites, the crème de la crème. To shop, just click directly on the mug photo!

If open shelves or displaying your dishes intimidates you, check out Jenna's open shelf style guide. She give you simple but effective tips and tricks for how to make any open shelf display beautiful and functional.

Source: House on Hawk

I'm eyeing #5 and #14. Both are modern but have a distinctive style that you don't see every day. I've also started an entire pottery pinterest board because I'm now obsessed with ceramics.

SHOP THIS POST

$100 Room Challenge | Week 5: The Hallway Refresh Reveal

2020-01-29T08:44:00.001-05:00

January really flies by when you live Wednesday to Wednesday! For the past 5 weeks I have been working on refreshing the hallway with a budget of $100. For my second (or third) $100 Room Challenge I took on the hallway closet, installing new shelves and doing some organization. It was great, but left the rest of the hall looking pretty dull next to it. My goal for this $100RC was to bring the rest of the hall up to speed with a quick, low skill refresh.

Week 1: The Hallway Pt. 2 Befores
Week 2: The Natural Hallway Mood Board
Week 3: Painting the Hallway White
Week 4: DIY Modern Art

5 weeks ago the hall was boring and plain, and even though it's just a hallway it didn't provide us with any functionality. There was a lot of wall space but it was oddly spaced, putting it low on my list to think about.

My number one goal was to utilize the largest wall space to make a gallery wall. IKEA is my go-to for almost any large frame, but I customize them by cutting my own mats. The Ribba frame is my favorite because it comes in several sizes but is a nice, thin, clean black frame. It doesn't bother me the "glass" is plexi-glass because it looks exactly the same, but if that bothers you may want to opt for more expensive ones.

The other end of the hallway was a major "to-do" since it's what I wake up to every morning. I debated putting a mirror here, but decided I didn't want to look at myself that much. Last week I DIY'ed some art to put up, being inspired by Block Shop Textiles. This week I put a frame on it but using some left-over pine strips and simply cutting them to size and using my nail gun to fasten it to the canvas.

My other area I wanted to tackle was the awkward space next to the closet and vent. It wasn't big enough to put more frames but also right next to the DIY art so I didn't want to put art next to art. I came across the perfect wall hook rack from Amazon and bonus it was only $30! Now guests (or me) can put jackets, purses, small dogs or whatever somewhere and not be on the floor.

I put a tiny black square frame I had originally got for the nursery above it. I filled it with the picture of us in the OBGYN's waiting room only moments before we found out baby Jase's gender. Since the door to the left is the nursery it'll be nice on those sleepless, difficult nights that at one point we didn't know who Jase was and it'll remind me to be thankful.

I put photos of us from our Alaska cruise last year in the gallery frames. I have yet to really comb through all the photos and videos but will hopefully get that done before baby gets here. I chose ones of us on the Capilano Suspension Bridge, us and mom 'n dad as we trekked on the Mendenhall Glacier, and us on a 4-wheeling tour of Haines.

The hall light was half a DIY. I got it from Home Depot but spray painted the base black. It was pretty cool to see Chris Loves Julia highlight it as one of their picks in the hallway inspiration post.

We buy toilet paper and paper towels in bulk and this closet is the only place to store them. It also is where we keep our towels since bathroom storage is non-existent.

Seeing the gallery wall from the living room makes everything feel a little more put together.

My absolute favorite thing about doing this, renovating your house, is that it's never "finished". If you don't like something you've done or your style has evolved, you can change it. This refresh is one step in the right direction to helping me find "my style". Unlike what you may feel like when you browse Instagram, small incremental changes are good. You don't have to spend a bunch of money to get where you want to go. Doing these $100 challenges over and over again I can attest to the power of small-budget phases.

I came in right under the $100 budget! It really helped I had leftover wall paint from the One Room Challenge and a spare canvas on hand (even though they aren't expensive). You may not have this luxury, but you can definitely slowly acquire left over supplies after your projects like I did and end up with a fully stocked tool closet.

Supplies Bought
(3) IKEA Ribba Frames — $45
Wall Hook Rack — $30
Framing Mats — $10

Total: $95

Supplies Already Had
Behr Paint (Snow Fall increased by 100%)
Paintbrush
Paint Roller
Canvas
Pine Strips

SHOP THE POST

This challenge flew by! There are so many great participants this round and they are all linked below, please give them a few minutes a stop by their reveals. Interested in participating in the next $100 Room Challenge? The next round will be in September, drop me a comment if you want to know more!

Refinishing & Modernizing Our 70's Built-In Pantry

2020-01-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it was about the 70's but they built-in everything, down to a nook for a rotary phone! In our house the builder included this large built-in pantry in the dining space. I'm not sure how the people who lived here before us only had one side of cabinets because this pantry is the only space to store food. When we moved in I had to give it a massive scrub down because like every other surface in the house it was covered in smoke tar, but it was still remained that over-varnished orange color.

I had a vision on how this unsightly piece could be updated, but didn't take the plunge until last summer. I got almost half way done when we found out I was pregnant and I got super sick, putting this project on the back-burner until 3 weeks ago when I finally started feeling better.

The pantry was the typical 70's shade of over-varnished orange pine and hammered black pulls. The upside was they did make them with beautiful panes of glass.

I took off all the doors and used liquid sandpaper and Citristrip, then my palm sander to take off the varnish. I lost count of how many pieces of sandpaper I went through but it was a lot.

Once it was sanded down, I put some wood conditioner on to bring out the pretty wood grain. The left door is the original and the right door is it sanded down and conditioned.

Once the doors were finished I started on the pantry itself. First, I took off all the stain and varnish with the Citristrip. All you do is paint it on and wait, then scrape the bubbled up stain off with a putty knife. I first used this to restore my old typewriting desk for the One Room Challenge.

It didn't take much time to take the varnish off. Once it was off it was time to take it down to it's pine roots with the palm sander. Since this is inside I put up a make shift sanding bubble to contain the dust. Yes, I used my safety glasses, wore a mask, and had the shop vac in the other hand to suck up the dust.

After many days and weeks of sanding, it was finally finished. I took down the bubble and prepared everything to apply the whitewash stain. Then morning sickness hit me hard and I didn't even think about finishing this project for the next 3 months.

Around Christmas I started feeling better and this project came back on my radar, but until then we just lived without doors and used it as is. I knew I wanted to whitewash the pine and decided to try this Sunbleached color from Varathane. Just like every other stain I used a cloth but quickly wiped it off to keep the pine showing through.

I put on the hinges I got from Home Depot and matte black pulls from Ikea. I would have liked to get some more modern hinges, but since these doors are old they needed inset hinges and hardly anyone makes them anymore.

I loved how it turned out! Perfectly modern while still letting the original wood grain shine.

Besides modernizing the look of the pantry, I also took this opportunity to re-organize everything in it. We love using the pop-top plastic organizers, it's easy to see whats inside and it keeps everything fresh. To keep it all organized, I grabbed my favorite hand label maker I use for almost everything. It's only $10!

One thing I learned from my grandmother (and also several interior designers) is to corral like things with baskets or bowls. I got all the vintage delft bowls and plates to help organize the pantry items.

It takes a lot less time than you think to take things out of the box and put them into a container or bowl. Once you do everything up front and take an extra 3 minutes after a grocery trip it makes every time you go to the pantry a little easier, quicker, and beautiful.

After Anastasia's kitchen reveal I bought some of these spice labels and 4 oz. glass jars. The plan is to make a custom spice rack somewhere in the kitchen, but for right now they'll live in the pantry.

Supplies Bought

Sandpaper discs —$20
Stain —$4
Hinges — $36
Pulls — $21

Total: $81

Supplies Already Had

Liquid Sandpaper — $8
Citristrip — $32
Wood Conditioner — $4
Palm Sander — $28
Power Drill — $80

Even though this is the longest running project I've ever done, it was well worth it. It didn't require a high level of skill, just a lot of time. Now I don't cringe a little every time I go to get my daily capn'crunch. Have you ever tried to refinish an old piece like this?

SHOP THE POST

$100 Room Challenge | Week 4: DIY Modern Art

2020-01-22T08:11:00.001-05:00

Three day weekends should be an every weekend thing. I get more done around the house, I'm more productive at my day job, it's a win win for everyone. This past weekend I worked a little more on our hallway for the $100 Room Challenge Week 4 and started checking more off my "To-Do Before Baby" list.

Week 1: The Hallway Pt. 2 Befores
Week 2: The Natural Hallway Mood Board
Week 3: Painting the Hallway White

I love a good art piece, but more often than not I don't have the budget for it. Could I save up and make the budget for it? Yes. But there are more important things to be done in the house first. For this hallway I had my eye set on a few pieces from Block Shop Textile and fell in love with this one I showed you in the mood board.

One thing I like about that art piece is they hand make the paper and hand print the design, giving it a natural look. I thought about making my own paper but decided a canvas would be better because it would have glass like the gallery wall will. I keep a bunch of different size canvas' on hand just because I like to have them if inspiration strikes, my go-to is Walmart but Hobby Lobby also has great, bigger sizes. Even though I decided to go with a canvas I still want to give it texture so I grabbed my modpodge and a newspaper, by ripping and scrunching pieces up I could paste them onto the canvas and then paint over then to give the illusion that it isn't just a plain flat canvas.

I sketched out the pattern and started pasting newspaper bits where I felt it needed some texture. After letting it dry for a day I painted it with regular 50¢ acrylic paint from Walmart.

SUPPLIES
Canvas
Black Acryllic Paint
Matte Modpodge
Newspaper

I still need to frame it with some leftover pine board I have. It's as simple as cutting them and using the nail gun to secure it to the canvas.

I bought this wooden coat rack to put on the wall to the right of the closet. It was $30 on Amazon and is really sturdy! It came just in time to snap a photo of it, I'll put it up this weekend.

BUDGET
Purchased
Wooden Coat Rack — $30

Total Spent: $30

Already Had
Canvas — $4
Black Acryllic Paint — $0.50
Matte Modpodge — $5.79
Newspaper — Free

January is flying by! Next week is reveal week and I still need to get the gallery wall frames and put them up, but I think that's doable. I'm also working on our half-bath on the side, so it'll be a full weekend for me.

SHOP THE POST

$100 Room Challenge | Week 3: Painting the Hallway White

2020-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm convinced paint is absolute magic. It can completely transform a space, costs as little as $30, and can be done in less than a day. The $100 Room Challenge is in full swing and for Week 3 I painted the hallway a perfect shade of white. When we moved in we painted every room Sherwin William's Repose Gray, which really is the perfect gray. But I wanted to lighten up the hallway and create a clean canvas to display the gallery wall. I used my go-to white is Behr's Snow Fall increased by 100%, and bonus I had it left over from our guest room meaning I didn't have to spend any money (woo!).

Week 1: The Hallway Pt. 2 Befores
Week 2: The Natural Hallway Mood Board

Painting is 90% prep and 10% actually painting. To make the entire process quicker, I use these painting products every time and it really does make everything easier. Handy Paint Pail is an amazing company and everything they make is a must have. A short, flexible angle brush is perfect for getting those corners and next to the trim. My favorite product though is the paint lid that has a closeable, retractable nozzle. It makes pouring paint a thousand times cleaner and also is easier to store.

Edging is arguably the least fun part about painting, but it's always my first step. It takes a lot of time and it feels like you're not getting anything done, but it's a crucial step and you can tell once a paint job is done if the edging was crappy or not. Don't rush it. Yes there are a bunch of edging tools out there you could use but I've found the easiest and cleanest way is to use a flexible angle brush. The flexible part is important because its soft on your hand and doesn't give you hand cramps.

Unless you get a paint that is guaranteed one coat, you'll most likely have to put two coats up. The first coat of white can be daunting because there are obviously imperfections, but the second coat is where the magic happens.

It only took me an afternoon to put up both coats. I know I've said this, but a white room just feels like an endless space of possibilities.

I mentioned this in last week's post about the mood board, but this natural stripped rug will really tie this long hallway together. It's out of the budget for this challenge reveal, but I do have it back ordered and it should ship in February.

I haven't spent any of the $100 budget yet (because I've been doing this for 2 years and have products on hand you may not), but I will this next week. Hopefully, I can decide on and do a DIY art piece, and decide on and order the wall hooks. Cruise by the rest of the participants to catch up on their progress!

Project List for January to April

2020-01-13T09:03:00.001-05:00

January is half way over and April is creeping up fast! With that in mind, I have several projects I'd like to finish before baby Jase makes his arrival in late April. It's not a strict "I must get these done" list, it's more of a guideline that gives me goals to achieve. Most of them are just buying a piece here or there, but there are a few DIYs I have in mind.

DINING ROOM
Buy new pendant light and install.
I'd like to have a nice large pendant light to hang over the dining table. The electrical box is centered in the middle of the room so I'll have to find one that has a swag cable. I'm leaning towards a natural, warm wood but also am considering a black metal look. Here are two that I've come across.

One, Two

Buy/make small credenza to fit behind the table.
We have about 2-3 feet of space that is just dead space between the dining table and the wall that separates the living room. I'm hoping I can find a skinny credenza to fit in that awkward space to make it feel complete and give us some more storage. Here are some I've found that are possibilities.

One, Two, Three, Four

Buy/make art to hand above the credenza.
I'd love to have a Block Shop Textile print here but know I can't afford it before April. Queue the DIY skills, I'm going to try to make one. These are some that I'm thinking about.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five

HALLWAY
Buy/make gallery wall.
Currently doing this for the $100 Room Challenge. IKEA is definitely where I'll be sourcing the frames whether they are black or natural wood. You can catch the full post with the mood board.

Paint walls.
Accomplished this weekend for the $100 Room Challenge! Woo can check this off the list.

LIVING ROOM
Buy new tv console with doors.
Right now we have a console the tv sits on from Amazon with open shelving. It's super unappealing but what we could afford when we moved in. Now I think it's time to get a slightly larger one with doors so we can store our gaming consoles and board games.

Mount tv on wall.
We already have the mount, I'm just waiting to decide on a console to know how high to hang it.

Buy/make bookshelf for storage.
I've had the idea floating around in my head that we need somewhere to store our books we want to keep. We both love to read and there are many books I don't want to get rid of yet. I'm considering these, but the open one from CB2 is really on the top of my list.

One, Two, Three

HALF BATHROOM
Level floor and tile.
I should've done this when we did the half bath refresh, but just didn't take the time to fully level the floor when we had to replace the subfloor. I'd like to put actual tile down and it would be the perfect time to use the floor patch to get a completely level floor. This photo via J Miller is giving me the inspiration to do matte black hex tile, it'll match the full bathroom. I may not do this because I don't want to mess with the toilet, but we'll see. If I get that "burst of energy" everyone keeps talking about it'd be nice to tackle.

Install wall treatment & Paint.
Since this is only a half bath and hardly there won't be any shower/bath water to worry about, I'm considering doing a full wall treatment, kind of like the one I did for the adjoining nursery only all the way to the ceiling. Maybe the floor and wall treatment can wait until next year, but I'd really like to go ahead and get it done if I have the budget and time. Here is my inspiration via Emma Austen.

Buy/make new vanity.
Right now we've made do with this 1960's sink that isn't very pretty, is super low, and very rusty (read: you don't want to clean yourself in). I'd like to think I could afford a new vanity, but I'm thinking I'll just build a small pedestal with some open shelves and stick a sink bowl from IKEA on top. Here;s the inspiration photo I'm working with via Honey Homes.

Update/replace mirror with old medicine cabinet.
I took out the medicine cabinet when I did the $100RC in this room, but I kept it. I think I can spray paint the chrome to a nice matte black and put it back up. Since this is going to be my primary bathroom it would be nice to have some extra storage. This is easy and wont take long.

Re-do open shelves.
Simple and not expensive. I'll probably end up doing the same thing I did for the full bath $100RC, just brackets and a natural wood plank.

KITCHEN

Buy new pendant light.
I have been wanting a new pendant light for a while. The gold one is just too gold for me now and I'd like to have a light wood one to bring some natural-ness into the space. Here are a few that are catching my eye.

One, Two, Three, Four

Tile the backsplash.
This has been on my to-do list for the past two years, but I can't seem to pull the trigger on actually picking a tile. I don't want to pick a cheap tile just for the sake of having a backsplash, so I'm keeping an eye out for something that is in my price range but still not cookie cutter. Here is my huge inspiration photo, and more proof that I should probably keep the cabinets black via Jenni Yolo.

Spice Rack
I had been searching for a cute, practical way to store our herbs/spices for the last few months. Then Anastasia remodeled her kitchen and gave me the perfect solution a custom spice rack with matching glass bottles. I've already got the bottles and labels, I just need to build the rack.

LAUNDRY ROOM
Reconfigure washer / dryer?
When we got our new washer and dryer, they replaced ours from the 80's. But what we didn't consider is that these are front loaders and the doors only swing one way. Right now, they're across from each other and it makes it really difficult to maneuver the doors and change clothes around. If there's space and I can make the plumbing work, I'd like to put them side by side.

Buy a stand up freezer and install?
Since getting our new fridge, we've noticed we're lacking in fridge space. It's not super evident now, we mainly use it for Auston's chicken he buys in bulk, but I know once baby is here we'll be wanting more space. I think if I could get the washer/dryer layout worked out that a small stand up freezer would fit in the remaining space. If I decide this is more important than having a drawer/cabinet and one could fit, I'll nix the cabinet.

BACKYARD
Finish installing and staining/sealing the shed ramp.
I did the shed $100RC back when I was 6 weeks pregnant (what was I thinking) and I was so sick I couldn't accomplish the entire scope of what I set out to do. I still need to secure the ramp to the shed, right now we just have to step directly up to the shed, and stain/seal it.

That seems like a lot on paper, but I've laid out all my weekends and think I can get it done! Do you make lists of things you need to get done? Something about checking a list really gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Chelsea Rug / More Mid-Century Modern Area Rugs	Eleonora Duvet / More Duvet Covers	Auburnhill Throw / More Throw Blankets
Huron Lamp / More Mid-Century Modern Lamps	Spiva Nightstand / More Mid-Century Modern Nightstands	Langford Bed / More Mid-Century Modern Beds
Caper Rug / More Mid-Century Modern Rugs	Caesar Mirror / More Modern Mirrors	Delmar Rug / More Mid-Century Rugs
Kinzey Lamp / More Modern Table Lamps	Dunnes Lamp / More Table Lamps