Guest Bathroom
Posted: April 10, 2017 Filed under: Home Decor | Tags: bathroom, decor, design, home, House, interior, remodel 1 Comment
As we move from project to project in our home, we have been focusing primarily on the spaces that are most exposed to guests. A while ago, we completed the guest room, and now we have just put the finishing touches on the guest bathroom. This was quite a large project, considering how small the room actually is, and our first concepts for it date back to before we even closed escrow.
As you can see in these images, this bathroom was quite hideous when we bought the house. The only thing that we considered keeping was the bathtub, but ultimately we replaced it because it wasn’t in great condition.
We knew that we wanted colored tile halfway up the wall, similar to the bathroom in our old apartment. After visiting several tile stores in Los Angeles County, we ended up going with this lotus flower accent tile that we had seen before we even had the keys to the house. We went with a dark green bullnose cap and a sage green subway tile that’s reminiscent of our kitchen cabinets, giving the bathroom a sense of cohesion with the rest of the house.
For the floor tile, I have always loved the look of small marble hexagons, and how well they juxtapose with subway tile. Removing the vanity and replacing it with a pedestal gave us much more floor space to make the room feel less cramped.
In order to have some storage space, we designed this cabinet that spans the length of the wall, and had it custom built by Martin Cabinet Designs. The layout of the cabinet allows for a decorative mirror to hang in the center, and I especially love the rounded corner shelves that give us space to put up decorative bathroom items.
When it came time to pick out the shower door, we went with a frameless textured glass that would allow more light into the shower than a framed one.
Porcelain cross handles in the shower are another element inspired by our apartment bathroom.
After all of the construction and cabinet installation was done, it was time to pick out the accessories. We selected items that would not only provide the needed functionality, but would also make sense visually for the space. The bathtub caddy has become a favorite for relaxing in the whirlpool tub with a book and glass of wine.
Though I have no idea what this bathroom possibly looked like in 1931 when our home was built, I certainly feel that we have done the space justice with our recent changes.
Fireplace Transformation
Posted: March 27, 2017 Filed under: Home Decor | Tags: decor, design, DIY, fireplace, hidden tv, home, interior, media cabinet, remodel, tile Leave a comment
One of the main elements of our new living room is the fireplace and built-in housing for the television. This multi-faceted project took a long time to complete, and ended up including some DIY work on our parts that we weren’t initially planning for.
The original fireplace was very bare, and lacked presence. The brick face was broken in a few spots, and the remnants of carpeting were stuck to the bottom edge. Overall it was unappealing and needed a change.
We knew that we wanted to be able to cover up our television when it was not in use, as well as house all of our electronic devices inside of a media cabinet. Once we determined the color of the tile and how the doors would open, we started designing the entire piece. James created this concept art, and we worked with Martin Cabinet Designs to figure out the specifics of mounting the television and running the cables. They then had the difficult task of building the cabinetry over the existing broken fireplace.
The level of detail they added was exactly what we were looking for, and it came out perfectly in both design and function. It instantly became a part of the room, enabling us to easily forget that it ever wasn’t there at all.
With the carpentry done, we thought that we would be hiring contractors to tile over the brick, but because it was such a small job, we decided to do the tiling ourselves.
This was our first time ever using mortar, but it was easy enough to apply to the brick. First we had to smooth out the surface, which was especially difficult around the pieces of carpet that were stuck to the bottom.
For the tile itself we went with 3 inch square tiles from Fireclay Tile in Kelp, which has a lovely variety in shading, and a subtle shattered look. We used 1/4 inch spacers, which gave us plenty of leeway if our tile placement wasn’t entirely even.
Having to use a wet saw was one of my biggest hesitations, as they can certainly be intimidating, and proper safety precautions are very important. Once I got the hang of it, it cut very cleanly and made the whole project go smoothly.
After setting all of the tiles and allowing the mortar to dry it was time for the grout. We picked a white grout to let the green of the tile really stand out.
We were relieved to get a clean edge around the bottom, and the bullnose tiles around the rim of the hearth give it a softer look in comparison to the sharp brick edge that was there before.
Once it was all dry and finished, we placed a new fireplace screen that better matched the iron detailing in our living and dining rooms, and added a couple of plants to the hearth. Another home design project successfully checked off our list.
Our Living Room
Posted: February 27, 2017 Filed under: Home Decor | Tags: bookshelves, built-in, decor, decorating, design, home design, interior, living room, living room decor, plants 2 Comments
Our living room has been a work in progress since we first moved into our house in 2015, and I can finally say that it is complete.
Though fairly small, there have been a lot of structural changes made to the space, which happened in multiple phases. The bookcases, railing, sconces, and fireplace seen in this shot were all absent when we first moved in.
Here’s a look at how this room was set up when we moved in. You can see that the corners flanking the doorway were empty, and the fireplace couldn’t look more different.
The first change that we made was adding the built-in bookcases. As soon as we saw the empty corners, we knew that we had a great opportunity to add presence. Here you can see the concept art that James put together before handing it off to the carpenters.
The build and install was done by Martin Cabinet Designs, who we would later work with for the fireplace and our kitchen remodel. The two pieces greatly improve the flow of the space, and it’s hard to believe that they were ever missing.
The shelves allow us to display some of our books and a few favorite trinkets, filling the room with color and charm.
When thinking of the size for the bookshelves we wanted to make sure to keep this thermostat in place. Though it is no longer functional, it serves as a fun reminder of the history of our home.
After the bookshelves were up, we focused on decorating the entryway. A new Tiffany glass lighting fixture and some decorative objects made the space feel complete and cohesive with the rest of the room.
We made some simple changes to the door, such as a new door handle that would also compliment the switch plates around the house.
Hooks to hang our coats, scarves, and purses keep us organized and avoid clutter.
We use the same table that we had at our apartment to hold keys for easy access on our way out the door. The trays that hold the keys were originally used to hold our wedding bands for our wedding ceremony.
One of my favorite details of the entryway was already there before we moved. This is the mail slot where we receive our daily mail. We painted it the same color as the moulding to give it emphasis.
The next big change was working with with Isaac’s Ironworks to add the railing that separates the living room from the dining room. We opted for this small bench and some decorative pillows to put up against the railing, which gives us some extra seating without the heaviness of another sofa. A tiny side drink table gives guests a place to set down their cocktail.
The last major changes were the built in surrounding the fireplace mantel, and the media cabinet on the side. Above the fireplace, the built-in houses our television, allowing us to close it away when not in use. The media cabinet on the side hides away electronic devices, and serves as a table for our record player, which we use frequently.
After all of the big changes were done we focused on the smaller details such as setting out books on our coffee table and getting new plants to give the room extra life. I’m very happy with how this space has turned out, and all of the slow progress on it has certainly paid off.
A Tiny Laundry Room
Posted: January 16, 2017 Filed under: Home Decor | Tags: decor, design, home, interior, laundry, room Leave a comment
The final part of our kitchen remodel was finishing up the attached laundry room. When conceiving of the layout, size was the biggest consideration. This is a very narrow space that was certainly not built with the size of 21st century appliances in mind, so the very first decision we made was to stack the washer and dryer, instead of having them side by side. We knew we wanted to de-emphasize how far the washer and dryer extended out, and wanted to have a visual divider from room to room, so we put a curtain in the doorframe to create a soft separation from the breakfast nook.
We were able to make the most out of this small space by having a custom cabinet built by Martin Cabinet Designs, who also built our kitchen cabinets and breakfast nook. We gave them details on how we wanted it to look, and they created it to fit the space and our needs perfectly.
Our kitties, Titan and Atlas, have their own private doorway to enter their litter box, and the bottom of the cabinet rolls out for easy cleaning.
On the opposite wall from the washer and dryer, there was just enough room to put up some hooks that I use to hang a few small purses and scarves.
A couple of small shelves on the wall complete the room by giving us a little extra space for storing items. It may be tiny, but our new laundry room fits all of our needs, and the kitties seem to be pleased with it too. It just goes to show that you don’t need to knock down walls in order to make a space more functional.
