Thursday, September 2, 2010

operation bathroom: reveal

indeed! your eyes do not deceive you! though i will not declare the bathroom "finished," i will declare it "close enough" and share it with my interweb friends. please note that the photos were not styled beyond putting the toothbrushes in the closet and properly folding the towels. no time for that shniznaws. toss in a tube of toothpaste and a wadded-up pair of c-fan's underpants, and you've got our daily bathroom. house beautiful will not be calling on me and my point-and-shoot anytime soon, but whatev.

without further ado, behold:

BEFORE (check out more befores here and here)







AFTER (plus commentary. of course.)

the new square pedestal sink allows more room for the soap dispenser and toothbrushes without taking up more visual space. the mirror comes down over the bead board trim, which is important for those who have on more than one occasion been referred to as "hobbit-like." the light fixture, which is on because it was too dark for pictures otherwise, came from the pottery barn outlet with a steep discount and is, according to captain fantastic, "exactly like the old one." except not.

wall decor is still up in the air. recently won the fabulous magnetic frame on the right from suzanne at our southern nest, one of my fave new reads. thank you suzanne! where i really want to put it is the kitchen, but there's literally about one square foot of wall space in there. love the stripes of the frame with the stripes of the bathmat and bead board, but thinking it might give the whole place too much of a coastal vibe for landlocked tennessee. not sure what to magnetize to it either, given the rainforest-like conditions at shower time, so it will likely be relocated soon. temporarily styled the above-potty shelf with a print and some candles, but planning to display some clear containers of cotton balls and other bathroom goodies like that instead. so, you know, disregard all of that.

kept the pottery barn shower curtain i've had and loved for years and got towels in the coordinating color from the pb outlet. liked the look of the pb ribbon roman shades (which are no longer on the website), but didn't like that they couldn't be raised and lowered easily, so i made my own with a bamboo roman shade from lowe's, some fabric and ribbon a la john's journal's tutorial. works great!

tip: the lid to the tank on our potty is convex, so everything i ever set back there would eventually slide right on off. i used a little of that tacky clay stuff (like for hanging posters on dorm room walls) to secure these wee pots from local store urban gardener. like magic!

the new double towel bar has saved me i cannot tell you how much anguish over SOMEONE'S propensity to leave wet towels lying on the floor. now that each spouse's towel has a place to spread out to dry, there's no excuse! victory! wouldn't this towel rack look awesome with some coordinating leontine linens hand towels with my monogram? in the rayford style? tomorrow is my birthday. fyi.


we extended the shower's subway tile all the way to the ceiling and capped the whole thing off with crown molding. do you remember what my old shower looked like? the new shower? is like heaven. heaven on earth. delight. we removed the old towel bar and tension rod shelving and installed two tile shelves in each corner. i failed to photograph this. somewhat on purpose. because you are all now aware of my tendency to hoard drugstore bath and hair products. ashamed. but look! crown molding! pretty!


shiny white floors and baseboards. which i love. but i will say, maybe not the best choice for someone with as high of cleanliness standards as i have. i say reasonable, you say type a. i say perfectionism, you say clinical ocd. let's all just agree not to wear our dirty shoes in the bathroom, k?


contractor brad topped the bead board with a lovely chair rail and ledge. we painted the walls a soft gray that compliments the bluish-gray of the shower curtain, towels and ribbon shade detail.

and there she is!


now who's coming to the potty party?

Monday, August 23, 2010

3 projects...zero bathrooms

dear internet,

once the following are accomplished, you shall have your bathroom reveal:

1) doorknobs. let's discuss how easy it is to purchase new doorknobs for ancient doors and make them fit. except not.

2) things that go on the wall. procured yet not installed.

probably start sending hate mail to captain fantastic about this, as he's the one who operates the power tools and is too busy going on 30 mile bike rides and drinking bloody marys on greer's ferry lake. i do admit to wearing my perfectionist pants where wall decor is involved. but internet, nothing less than the best for you!

but, an olive branch? i have some things to share. projects. that i HAVE completed. believe it or not. i think someone slipped adderall in my coffee this weekend. or maybe it's just that i drank coffee at all. hmm...

1) coasters

had these picture frame coasters in a large box of frames i rescued from the parents' move:


saw these thomas paul nautical coasters online:


had idea.

printed above picture. executed scribble-on-back-with-pencil-then-trace trick:


cut. inserted into coaster frames for a festive nautical touch to ye olde lake house:


decided maybe they won't make it to the lake house after all:


because one can never have too many coasters.

2) basket

mentioned to my mother that perhaps this basket of hers could use some updating:


she agreed. insisted that i not make fun of its circa-1989 sponge paint job on the blog. or post pictures of her on the blog. so here are her hands, applying stain to the freshly painted basket in my back yard this weekend:


it now looks lovely. mother-daughter bonding! decor circa 2010! good times.

3) cork board

i need one in my office to post newspaper clippings, pictures, articles, whathaveyou to show how good i am at my job. so i got a plain cheap one at michael's and gave it my own spin on the ubiquitous blogger fabric-and-nailheads treatment:




way to stage those photos, huh? now i just have to hang it behind my desk and fill it with episcoparaphernalia. my college diploma that's written entirely in latin can't wait to have company. sorry buddy, still no one will be able to read you or even tell where i went to school.

and? that's not even all i did this weekend! furthermore known as The Most Productive Weekend Ever. now that it's back-to-school time, i'll try to get back-to-blogging and sharing what's going on chez stone.

does this mean i get to shop for school supplies and a new fall wardrobe? i think yes.

Friday, August 6, 2010

dog days

firstly, the bathroom. it is nearing completion. it has been fulling functioning since last friday, hallelujah, but there are still a few touches to be completed before a reveal.

secondly, marley dog. is old. and needed a comfy-er bed than the lumpy petco monstrosity cstone bought in a pinch. so i made him one last weekend.


i cut a twin size egg crate mattress pad in thirds, stacked the thirds together with spray adhesive, then sewed a cover for it. the fabric coordinates with both the bedroom and the living room, so m-dawg has somewhere to curl up no matter where he's standing guard. lying guard, rather. and mama is happy because it's cute.


i mean handsome. and manly. (marbs makes that face at me often. like, woman. get out of my face. srsly. trying to nap.)

i washed and dried both the main and cording fabric before making the cover, and i installed a zipper on one side, so it can easily be removed for regular dates with the washing machine. very regular dates with the washing machine.

gooooood booooooy.


sterling will get one too. no worries. i've got some green and white ticking fabric for just such an occasion.

thirdly, our garden. we haz one.


c-fan constructed the raised bed out of fence posts and planted it a while back. the several varieties of tomato are thriving. and woe unto the squirrel who destroys this crop, because we are EXCITED. the squash were taking over the bed for a long time, but apparently they don't cotton to 115 degree heat indices, because they have perished. r.i.p. but i don't like squash anyway, and you know what? we had our first harvest last night!


monster okra!

we promptly collected a few and tried out the blue jean gourmet's fried okra recipe.


look! i fried! almost entirely by myself! that must warrant some southern belle merit badge or something.


and they were extremely delicious. can't wait for the next harvest.

tgif, girlfriends. tgif.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

design crush: mix art + interiors

i can't keep not blogging because i am busy working on this bathroom and wanting it to be all complete and perfect before sharing. so i will share some other people's projects that ARE complete and perfect. how 'bout?

today, i discovered mix art + interiors in saint simons island, georgia, via one of my faves, high heeled foot in the door. they are: "a collaboration of two designers eager to bring a fresh perspective on design to the southeast. we believe that every interior should incorporate a good mix of color, light, pattern, and styles. mix is a full service interior design firm and gallery founded by Adrian Pressley Johnson and Bethany Cassell." and also fabulous.

i love mix interiors precisely for their namesake quality - the mix. that is totally my jam. mixing things.

for example...

a dining room with light walls, a dark rug, manly shelves of books & duck decoys and girly scalloped slips on the chairs:


another dining room with a mix of more masculine dark wood and straight lines with soft colors and feminine touches:


plaids + florals, wood + white, fringe + tufting:


dark + light. traditional furnishings + imperial trellis fabric du jour:


i mean, are we all just dying over the architectural details in these spaces? another amazing ceiling, accented by a great chandelier:

herringbone. brick. floors.

hoping to build a wine rack similar to this for above the fridge when we spruce up our kitchen. notsomuch for it's wine-holding capabilities as its aesthetic pleasingness (as we all know how long wine lasts around here...):


love this kitchen banquette too, with its frilly pillows + industrial pendant:


they're also all about the mix of patterns, like in this den:


i am loving the pillows, the striped walls, and the mini shelves that look almost like sconces (but without the wiring issues i bemoan - sold!):


this room feels so accessible to me, like my future kids are hanging out playing games on the ottoman and watching cartoons, and i come over from the kitchen that i'm imagining to open up behind that couch there to bring them some snacks (captain fantastic. please note.):


i love a lamp in the bathroom. it adds such a great and unexpected coziness to the space. perfect for a powder room, where you don't want harsh lighting to break the spell of the dining table's candlelit ambiance for your dinner guests:


and of course, the way to my heart = starburst mirror. i could put one in every room:

all images via mix art + interiors

i'm looking forward to what camilla has to say in her upcoming piece about mixing styles. i have a feeling it'll be right up my alley. you?

Thursday, July 22, 2010

unrelated yet awesome

y'all. i am having a moment that only other bloggers will truly understand.

this:


is me in college (back before my hair inexplicably most of its shirley temple curl but after i gained the freshman 15 plus 5) with my friends aggie and masey.

this:


is team stone at aggie's wedding in sewanee this past memorial day weekend.

want to see more pictures that our beloved josh malahy took of their adorable, rustic wedding? just head on over to STYLE ME PRETTY where the wedding was FEATURED YESTERDAY.

SO COOL, right?!?! aggie's like, haha some blog posted pictures of our wedding, and i'm like HOLY GEEZ, I'M HAVING CONVULSIONS FROM AWESOME. high fives to josh and aggie & andrew!

(two above wedding pics by j. malahy, of course. who also takes pictures of kids now, b-t-dub.)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

good news

tonight, i should be able to shower INSIDE my house again.


(not pictured: the hose, which we drape over a nail at the top of this fence in a secluded corner of our back yard when we need to take a shower. i wish i were kidding.)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

potty party

this:


is captain fantastic's hunting & fishing buddy, contractor brad. he is a real, honest-to-goodness contractor who builds awesome things and works on fabulous houses.

do you know where contractor brad is?


in my bathroom. my former bathroom. my current ripped-to-the-studs-floorless-pottyless-sinkless-showerless-mid-remodel bathroom. my future beautiful, clean, awesome and period-appropriate bathroom.

WOOHOO!

this was the bathroom on monday night, mere hours before the demolition began:


what? unimpressed? wondering why i was so horrified and embarrassed and disgusted?

let's take a closer look.


ree-ree

ree-ree


ree-ree

ree-ree


REE-REE


(that was the sound they make in horror movies, fyi) the dirty deets of the bathroom are chronicled in this previous post. be sure not to try to eat your lunch or something while you read. barf.

removal of the worthless shelf that was too short to store anything and was ruined by c-fan's frattastic buddy in an incident involving the final four and some candle smoke (see evidence above...i have learned my lesson about candles on shelves. and allowing that guy into my house.) once again revealed the previous owners' awesome color scheme:


contractor brad says the tiles were painted with regular wall paint. regular wall paint! what an awesome idea. except not.

i was a smidge disappointed that we couldn't salvage the original floors under the laminate, which were a great basketweave tile, but they were beyond repair.


in fact, the whole floor had to go:


and also everything else.



so the plan is this: white hex tile floors with gray grout (nixed the marble because we plan to move in a few years). white subway tile shower surround, reaching to the ceiling (gray or white grout?). white beadboard wainscot along the rest of the walls (did you know wainscot and wainscoting are interchangeable? i just looked it up. because i like to be right. beadboard won out over tile for the same reasons marble floor tiles were 86ed). soft bluish/greenish-gray on walls (will test swatches after construction is complete). keep paisley shower curtain, potty and sink. reglaze or replace tub (depending on contractor brad's tub consultant friend's final opinion). roman shade with ribbon trim for window. new mirror and sconce. DELIGHT.

i'd better have a reveal for you next week. or it's contractor brad's a$$.

(not really. it'll be subcontractor c-fan's.)
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