Our House Archives - a Happy Healthy Home

The Kitchen: Before & After

Tiara — Thu, 25 May 2017 00:05:00 +0000

In 2015, only four months after Emerson was born, we decided to take on our biggest renovation to date! The kitchen and living room! It was a full remodel consisting of removing a 24ft wall, moving doors, extending walls, and everything else that goes with a kitchen remodel. It ended up taking longer than expected with back orders, etc. but in the end we couldn’t be happier!

Let’s just dive right in!

BEFORE

Here’s what the kitchen looked like when we purchased the house in 2010! The house had a ton of potential.

Here’s a few before snapshots. After moving in we painted the cabinets, walls, updated the hardware and added a ceiling fan. Sorry about the mess. We realized we needed to snap a few before photos after we started clearing everything out. Plus, baby fog…

We had two pretty decent spaces to work with, but they were both dark and ugly. The massive wall we decided to take down! Best decision ever.

The other side of the wall.

Progress!

AFTER

Removing the wall really lighten up the space. We moved the door from the mudroom to kitchen to allow for the refrigerator and pantry. While I love the idea of an all white kitchen we added warmth with light gray lower cabinets and a marble subway tile backsplash. Extending the backsplash to the ceiling gives the kitchen a nice visual and add texture. Not wanting any transitions in the flooring we used Hickory hardwood floors throughout the kitchen, living room, entry and hallway. Oh, the barn door! While it’s currently unfinished I’m in love.

Since it was a load-bearing wall we had to include a post. Not ideal, but the wall is still gone.

The island is 7×4 feet and includes drawers/storage cabinets and a seating area. I love all the drawers!

The cabinet boxes are ikea and the doors are semi-handmade. The doors came unfinished at the time so we had them painted. Since installing our cabinets you can now purchase pre-painted doors from semi-handmade. Pro Tip: Have your cabinet maker/installer frame out the boxes instead of using the Ikea legs. While it might cost a tad more money upfront, in the long run they will be sturdier.

The countertops are a Carrera quartz and have very light veins. The lower cabinets are SW Rare Gray and uppers are white

We bought our house in 2010 and tackled the kitchen in 2015! Looking back at the before I don’t know how I lived so long with the dated kitchen!

SOURCE LIST

Hardwood Floors: Hardwood Bargains HAND SCRAPED NATURAL HICKORY
Backsplash: Floor & Decor Bianco Carrara Honed Marble Tile
Cabinets: Semi-Handmade doors DIY Shaker & Ikea boxes
Pulls: Lowe’s Satin Nickel Bar Cabinet Pull
Faucet: KOHLER Pull-down
Sink: BLANCO 441310 PERFORMA
Barstools: Target Trenton Saddle Seat Barstool
Kitchen Table: the Hubby made it 6 years ago!
Parson Chairs: Ikea HENRIKSDAL chair with a white cover. These are also 6 years old. I would buy them again!
Refrigerator: Whirlpool 25.2-cu ft French Door Refrigerator (we already had this fridge. I wouldn’t buy it again. I wish we had a counter depth fridge it would look much nicer in the space.
Oven/stove: Frigidaire Gallery 4.5-cu ft Slide-in Convection Gas Range (it does the job + looks nice)
Dishwasher: GE 48-Decibel Built-In Dishwasher (LOVE – so quite worth the $$)
Microwave: GE 1.6-cu ft Over-The-Range Microwave (it does the job + looks nice)
Coffee Maker: OXO ON BARISTA BRAIN 9 CUP COFFEE MAKER
Lighting: LED Recessed Lighting
Barn door: Knotty Alder Interior Barn Door Slab with Sliding Door Hardware Kit

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Nursery Progress & Design Help Needed

Tiara — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 20:30:00 +0000

Happy Monday!

Alright, I need all you lovely ladies to put on your design hats. Not sure why, but I’m seriously struggling here. I’m going for a eclectic modern nursery and put together a few inspiration boards to get the juices flowing. Plus, I’ve been pinning away, but honestly I think it’s making the process harder. I love this, this, this, this, and this room. So let’s take a look at our room (sorry I took the photos at night).

Already Have

The Dresser

We already had this dresser and moved it to the nursery. It will also double as the changing table.

The Crib / Wall Color

I love the white. We painted the walls Olympic Gray Beard. Not sure how I feel about it. I think it might be too light. Yay of nay? Side note: we’re replacing the carpet with hardwood floors this summer.

Recent Purchases

(and on the fence about them)

Rug

I bought a grey chevron rug during the RugsUSA black Friday sale, but feel as though it’s too big for the room and it’s cream and gray vs. white and gray. However, I’m leaning towards something like this or a kilim style instead which could possibly work with the elephant curtains below. Thoughts?

Curtains

On a whim yesterday I went to Pier1 Imports and bought these curtains (similar). Not sure they will really work in the room, but I thought they were fun and playful. I also really like these, but our store has them with navy tassels and they could go with the chevron rug.

To-do’s/Still Need Purchase

Finalize — curtains, rug & wall color (possible repaint, ugh)

Window Blinds — We ordered samples from blinds.com today

Light fixture for the ceiling — no clue

Changing pad cover — of course the one I want is sold out online and in the store

Bedding — I really can’t decide (first world problems here) Grey, Purple or Pink not sure.

Closet organization — we’re looking at this shelving unit from Ikea

Gilder/Rocker — we decided on the Poang Rocker from Ikea, but can’t decide between white or grey

Picture gallery above the crib — we’ve decided to print photos we’ve taken on trips and around Tahoe

Mobile — on the fence and open to suggestions. I like this one and feel it would be an easy DIY

Pouf/Ottoman — open to colors and suggestions woven, leather or canvas

Miscellaneous — hamper, curtain rod, additional shelving in room, side table (not sure if we have the room), possible prints from Esty like this or this, etc.

So that’s where I’m at and this kid is due January 30th. Ideally I would like to have everything done and finalized by the second week of January, but with the holidays I’m not sure that’s going to happen. Especially if I keep being this indecisive. I usually don’t have this hard of time making decisions… I would love any suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

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Garden Party :: Backyard Inspiration

Tiara — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:48:00 +0000

Over nearly the past three years we’ve spent all our energy working inside our house or in the front yard. Since no one really sees the backyard it’s been very neglected. Here’s what it looked like when we moved in, August 2012…

… and here’s what it looks like as of Sunday afternoon.

We raked up more pine needles this weekend and filled 12 bags before we ran out — and that’s just the backyard. We did take down the tree fort and make a raised box for a veggie garden last year, but it’s time to create a little backyard oasis. One major problem — my back yard is massive and I don’t know where to start. I need HGTV Yard Crashers. Any suggestions?

For now I’ll leave you with some backyard inspiration to help get those creative juices flying.

{via}

For more garden party inspiration check out my pinterest board here.

Linking up with

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Watching the Grass Grow

Tiara — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Fall has officially arrived in Tahoe! Believe it our not it rained last night. And to celebrate I’m rocking some sweet tall boots today at work.

We’re always working on the house and sometimes I forget to blog about house details. So today I’m traveling back to last summer and chatting about how we revived our front yard.

We live on a double lot, which means we have a massive front & back yard — Roxy is in heaven! When we bought the house the grass was dead, since it was August and it would probably snow in a few months we didn’t even touch it, plus we were busy remodeling the bathroom.

2010/11 was a long winter with record breaking snow fall, but once all the snow melted away we went to town. As you can see some grass was growing back, but it needed a lot of work.

My girlfriend Aly from Cultivating Concepts came over and helped with irrigation (below in the backyard), while Nick and I took turns aerating the yard (above in the front yard). Then we seeded and fertilized over and over and over again.

By August our front lawn looked something like this!! We weren’t sure how seeding would look since we have such a LARGE yard, but we’re extremely happy we didn’t spend the money on sod.

This spring we even created a few flower beds, see here.

Do you have a green thumb? Tips welcomed.

xo, Tiara

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Guest Bedroom Update

Tiara — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:16:00 +0000

It’s been 2 years since we bought this rancher and we’ve painted every room in the house including a wall in the garage! After closing we were on a tight deadline – cue painting and carpeting all 3 bedrooms plus full bath remodel! So we opted to paint all the bedrooms the same color. Trust me, we couldn’t what to paint them. Each room was special in it’s own way — cue red sponge paint.

Let’s start at the beginning. The room is a decent size, with an average closet and a built-in to boot. No need for a dresser. When we bought the house in 2010 we called it the “teal” room. Check out the awesomeness below.

Oh and the carpet was blue/grey speckle commercial grade cut into three different piece. I have no clue why. (Note: This house was a foreclosure.)

..and a shot of the built-in for full effect.

We painted the ceiling swiss coffee (from Kelly Moore) and color matched Behr Koala Bear for the walls.

Look how fresh the walls look.

The trim, baseboards, closet doors and built-in also received a fresh coat of swiss coffee paint. We also switched out the built-in and closet door handles. Don’t worry we replaced the old carpet with a light tan from our local Carpet One.

Although I like the green I thought it was time to switch it up! So I lighten it up with Ice Age Grey from Kelly Moore.

…. and the built-in/closet.

Repainting the guest bedroom was the first step of its make over. Here’s a little mood board I put together for inspiration. Followed by a to-do list.

Headboard / Mirror / Duvet / <3 Calif. / End Table / Wall Clock / Velvet Pillow /
Table Lamp / Pendant Lamp / Map Art / Pouf

To Do’s:

purchase down alternative comforter – looking at the one at Costco for $150 (not to mention we’ll get 2% back)
purchase duvet cover
move headboard from master bedroom
re-purpose/paint two nightstands currently in room
change ceiling lamp
fix built- in hinges
change built-in handles (not sure I want to keep the current ones)
order art & frame
find long mirror
purchase ocassional chair or pouf — maybe even make one.

So there you have it. Our guest bedroom is getting a facelift!

Thoughts, suggestions, deals, helpful tips welcomed!

xo,

Tiara

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DIY Fireplace Mantel

Tiara — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 22:03:00 +0000

Tuesday we revealed a few fireplace changes including: painted brick, wood-burning stove and a new mantel! I’m back today with more details about the mantel. As I mentioned previously, we scored the weathered lumber from our neighbors yard. It was already the size we needed so no cuts were made on the ends.

First, we measured the length of the fireplace and cut a scrap piece of wood the same length. Then we centered the wood on our soon-to-be-mantel as a guide for our cuts. Using the circular saw we made various notch cuts the entire length of our wood guide.

Once the cuts were made the wood was then chiseled out.

Light taps with a hammer helped the process.

Team work at it’s best.

After the desired notch was cut our weathered lumber was looking more and more like a mantel.

Nearly two hours later it was ready to be installed. First all studs were market on the wall (with pencil for easy clean up). Then the mantel was set on the fireplace. Pliot holes were then drilled, at an angle, from the top of the mantel into the studs, in the wall. Lastly we screwed the mantel into place.

Close up of the wood. It’s greyed from years of sun and snow.

Another after picture.

The surround and hearth are on the the list, but last night we applied our first coat of tough oil. The oil darken it up a bit, but it’s looking good.

What house projects are you working on?

xo, Tiara

Linked to: DIY Showoff

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A Refreshed Fireplace

Tiara — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 22:04:00 +0000

We’re back at it and the big guy was in town this weekend cracking the whip. OK — there wasn’t any whip, but we were busy working away at the house fixing the living room sliding door, building a mantel, cleaning up pine needles and sprucing up my 1948 Firestone Super-cruiser (more on that one later).

Here’s the evolution of our fireplace. Back in 2010 before we moved in it looked a little like this. You can see why changes needed to be made and not just to the fireplace.

Then we got busy painting and decorating. Can you believe how much of a difference a little paint makes? We used Kelly-Moore Paints Travertine Trail on the wall and Swiss Coffee on the mantel.

We still didn’t care for the red brick so we painted it and removed the white mantel, summer 2011 . Shortly after our awesome Jotul C 550 wood-burning stove was installed, fall 2011. It kept us warm all winter long!

Fast forward to June 2012… a new mantel was added! However, it wasn’t always a mantel. We found the piece of wood in our neighbors yard, basking in the sun! We scored this weathered 8 ft (about) beam for free! A new piece of lumber would have cost us roughly $47 plus the time and materials to rough it up giving it that ‘rustic’ or ‘worn’ feel we wanted. Stop by Thursday for installation details, until then here she is.

She still needs a coat or two of tough oil for a nice seal plus we still have the hearth and surround to do. We’re thinking a slate hearth and a stone dry stack or mosaic glass tile/stone for the surround. Eventually we’ll replace the carpet with hardwood floors.

What should we do with the hearth & surround? Any color suggestions?

xo, Tiara

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Kitchen Diaries: Part Two

Tiara — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:07:00 +0000

As I mentioned yesterday we were very busy last week working hard to finish our kitchen project.

Sprucing up the kitchen has been on our list since we moved in, nearly two years ago. You can see why in the picture below — It’s stuck in 1959!

August 2012 — The month we closed on the house!

After the kitchen was empty we went to town sanding. Roughly one day and two nights worth of work we were ready to prime. With all the other painting projects we had plenty of Kelly-Moore primer to cover the project.

Sanding done — Starting to prime

On day five, after a coat of primer it was time to start painting! We went with Dura Poxy Plus from Kelly-Moore in Swiss Coffee (aka white). The dura poxy was designed to resist chemicals, oils and everyday stains from coffee to red wine! I can scrub to my hearts content without the paint wearing. I might have to repaint a few things in the house with dura poxy.

And here she is… so fresh and so clean!

Ta-Da — May 5, 2012

Originally there were handles on every drawer & door. We replaced the doors with knobs from Lowe’s, cleaned up the old handles and hinges and sprayed them with stain nickel metal spray paint by Valspar.

We still have a few touch ups here and there and need to tackle the island in the middle. I personally want to replace it with a mobile island and Nick thinks we should work with the one we have. Time will tell. This may not be my dream kitchen, but boy it looks 10 time better!

What tweaks have you made to your dated kitchen?

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Washer & Dryer Upgrade

Tiara — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:05:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, the same day we flew out to Minnesota, our beloved LG front-load washing machine died. It was holding on by a thread for the last year, so it was really only a matter of time. Well we just didn’t purchase just a new washer and dryer, we upgraded to steam! After some research we decided on the Samsung 3.7 cu. stackable front-load energy star washer and matching gas dryer from Lowe’s. The nice thing about Lowe’s — free delivery and free haul away! Since the dryer still worked we gifted it to a friend of a friend who just purchased their first house.

Here’s what our mudroom and washer & dryer once looked like…

They may not look pretty but they worked.

We’ve been busy dry walling and painting the mudroom, but more on that later. The new washer & dryer look great in our mudroom. Fresh paint doesn’t hurt either.

New Samsung washer & dryer

These bad boys are fantastic. They’re quite, efficient, and sing a nice little song when the cycle is done. Have you bought a new washer or dryer recently? Do you have the same model? Would love to hear your thoughts.

xo,

tiara

P.S. The kitchen is shaping up nicely. Check back next week to see what we’ve been up to every night.

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Parson Chairs

Tiara — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:04:00 +0000

While we slave away over the kitchen here’s the update I
promised about our kitchen chairs. When we went to build the farmhouse table we weren’t
sure about benches, so I set out for the most comfortable & affordable
design pleasing chairs I could find. Typically parson chairs are
a little on the pricy side, but I was on a mission. After narrowing it down to
leather chairs from overstock ($109/2), canvas chairs from Crate & Barrel
($299/1) and canvas chairs from Ikea ($69/1) with removable covers —
it was a no brainier. Since I decided to go with white it made the most
sense to purchase the Ikea chairs — I could at least wash them when they start
looking dirty. The price was right too.

overstock

Crate & Barrel

Ikea

After making the trip to the closest
Ikea in W. Sacramento, Nick went to town putting them together — easy breezy.
Once the covers were on, nice and snug, each chair was given a coat of scotch
guard.

Ta-da… We purchased 6 chairs for
now, but might add two more. Maybe those will have a fun print or slightly
different style. What do you think? I’m happy to report we’ve had the chairs for 10
months and still love them. We did unfortunately have to return one faulty
chair. The one shopping at Ikea perk — you can return furniture anytime as long
as you have the receipt!

Stay tune more kitchen updates coming soon.

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