Cafe Curtain Inspiration

Our front door has a window in the top half. I need to sew new curtains for the window and sidelights. I'm trying to decide whether to duplicate the shirred curtain that's currently on the door, or something else. I have some wonderful soft tan/white striped sheer fabric to use.

I don't mind the shirred curtain, especially since I plan to install an actual rod on the door (instead of the ghetto-fabulous current method of screws and string left by the previous owners). But I really like the cafe curtains. Here's some examples I found around the interwebs:

Southern Living
This is what our door looks like, but a single door +
sidelights. And much uglier. NOTE TO SELF: need to
upgrade door hardware ...

Simply Seleta

Urban Grace

Martha Stewart

I do like the pleats ... ugh, but how to attach to the rod, it needs to look good from the outside too ... more research and maybe some trial-and-error is needed, I think.

xoxo

Purchased: New Blinds

Whew ... so last night I ordered new bamboo blinds for our living / dining room windows. Sounds simple, right? Well ...it has been stressful.

Let me start at the beginning. In our house, there is no formal dining room. The "dining room" used to be the screened in porch, closed in during an addition in the late 1980s. That addition produced some huge windows that look out into the backyard. When we bough the house, we saw the windows and thought, "wow, love all these great big windows! But eww, we need to replace those icky 30+ year-old vertical blinds, PRONTO."

Fast-forward to last week. Going on 6 months later. We still have those vertical blinds. They are totally gross. BUT - they function. And we need to have something covering the windows because the ones on the left face the street and we don't want people seeing into the house (there is a lot of foot traffic in our neighborhood - almost everyone has a dog). Why haven't we replaced them yet, you ask? Mostly because #1 - Target stopped carrying my favorite bamboo roman shade in their stores (why?!); and #2 - the windows are HUGE. Cost-prohibitive huge. We need 7 36"wx72"h shades for this side alone. Even at the off-the-shelf price of $35 each, that's still $250. And I would really prefer lined, so that means custom and even more money. Not happening, says the husband, when we need to pay the plumber, the gas company, the electrician, yadda yadda ... so, we I waited. And got some quotes.

And waited. And looked some more.

And then (uh-oh) saw a notice on my new favorite website, PRICE INCREASE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 5. Dagummit. Now I'm going to have to wait even LONGER! Oh, but wait ... (cue the chorus) ... 50% off blinds ... PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 20% OFF! Yes, I'll take 7 blinds, thank you. I was able to convince my more practical half that it would be better to buy now than after prices go up. He (reluctantly) agreed.

So ... I ordered samples, and so glad I did. They came. They were totally wrong, way too green. Dagummit. I ordered 10 more samples. They came, literally 15 minutes before we left to visit family for Christmas. All weekend I was thinking and looking and patiently waiting to try the new samples.

We got home Sunday, I made a decision on a color/material, and hit ADD TO CART. I paid, and saved more than $700!

Any time the "you saved" number is greater than the "total cost" number, I'm good.

Now I just hope they get here before our Super Bowl party in February ... cross your fingers!

xoxo

Deal Alert: Wooden Hangers

I hope everyone had a great Christmas weekend! I managed to squeeze in a quick shopping break today and found a great buy.

If you live near an Old Time Pottery, run yourself down there to stock up on wooden hangers. $0.50 each. They have shirt hangers (no bar -- like above) and suit hangers (with bar). The natural color was a couple cents cheaper, but they also had walnut ones for $0.56 each.

Now we can get rid of those wire hangers from the dry cleaners -- SCORE!

Compare:
Target 24-pack: $14.49 ($0.60 each) <----- best online deal
Amazon.com 100-pack: $70 ($0.70 each)
Container Store: $3.99 each

xoxo

Merry Christmas!

 

xoxo

Progress: December 24

Yessss! The plumber is done, the electrician came and finished yesterday, and the gas company has turned on the gas. We now have hot water in the cottage! And today we finished hanging drywall in the hall closet where the new washer/dryer will be. It's taped and mudded, we'll let it dry over Christmas weekend and come back next week to sand and finish coat before we can paint.

The rest of the cottage is painted. We worked on that last weekend and finished up yesterday.

The cottage walls are painted Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray (color matched with Sherwin-Williams paint).

It's much lighter in person and actually reads much warmer. I liked this color, it looks great with the white/pink/grey/green terrazzo we have out there. It's coming together!!


Finished/styled photos soon ... need to move the furniture out of the middle of the room :)

xoxo

Purchased: Travertine tile

24"x24" harlequin-pattern travertine

For cabana floor; inset with mosaic border (to be purchased later).

Eat this.

Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins. Super easy. Seriously, it takes about 20 minutes, and I've baked nearly a dozen batches since Halloween for parties. And I've gotten requests to bring them back at Christmas.

From here. You can thank me later ... after you've gained 10 pounds.

xoxo

Purchased: Sink

Purchased: Kohler Memoirs Pedestal Bathroom Sink.
For cabana.

Details:
Finish: white
Faucet: 8" centers (widespread)
Fireclay construction
Overall dimensions: 34.38" H x 24" W x 19.75" D

Vegas Inspiration

Last week I was in Las Vegas for a business trip, then stayed a few days with the hubby for a little sightseeing.

There is inspiration everywhere! Here's some photos I took (sorry ... with my iPhone) of the various architectural details that I think we can incorporate into the renovation.

Subway tile in tub at Caesar's Palace

Bathroom floor @ Caesar's - note the pattern
of the 6"x12" tiles

Leading edge banding on drapes at Caesar's -
using this idea for our living room curtains

Pavers at the Venetian - love the color combo and patterns
created with plain square pavers

Outside the Forum Shops - bricks and grass
square

Elevator floor at Treasure Island

Bathroom at the Mirage - loved the wall color
with the countertop, and the black-and-white
tile scheme, especially the mosaic floor

Dark gray grout

16" square tiles set in a running bond pattern
-- great alternative to a grid placement

xoxo

Purchased: Grasscloth

I love the texture and warmth of grasscloth.

John Willey Interior Design

I think it will provide just a touch of tropical without being too tourist-y. Camila, at High-Heeled Foot in the Door, just installed some grasscloth on her ceiling, and was kind enough to share her source.

High-Heeled Foot in the Door

I loved it so much, I went and bought some for myself. It came yesterday. The color I picked is PERFECT (which is amazing, since I totally ordered it blind ... no swatches or anything! I couldn't wait! Bad shopper ...) and I am so excited to hang it (after the holidays) in the hallway.

Thanks, Camila!

Happy Halloween!

image via Country Living

Have a safe and happy Halloween!
xoxo

{Flashback} Flamingo

Progress is still monumentally slow. Minor painting here and there, but nothing really worth mentioning. We did purchase a lot of supplies a few weekends ago, so hopefully we'll get our mojo back after Halloween!

In the meantime, I have decided to document some of the fun things I've scored out and about, starting with this guy:

LOVE this. Found him at HomeGoods back in June 2009, not really that exciting, but he makes me happy. Reminds me of a similar one I saw at the HGTV Green Home 2009 tour:

Lounge in the HGTV Green Home 2009, Port St. Lucie, FL

In our old condo, the canvas was hung in our entry - the canvas is large (at least 2'x3'), so it made a statement when you walked in the door! When we moved, I hung him in the hallway - the door to the hall is directly in front of you when you walk in the front door, so he's still front and center!

Have a great week!
xoxo

Spooky Halloween

After starting the Halloween decorations on the fireplace mantel, I realized there was too much white. White brick, white built-ins, white mantel ... too much. So I decided to "wallpaper" the back of the built-ins with something appropriately spooky. Off to Target, found some spiderweb-printed tissue paper, and 30 minutes later, done!

Sooo much better. Especially with all the silver mixed in {I left it tarnished to add extra spooky appeal. It'll get polished in time for Thanksgiving!}

Happy Halloween! Now on to the outdoor decorations ...
xoxo

Slow Going

nothing to report. I'm sad and frustrated at the slow progress we're making. I'm going to blame the weather.

Here's hoping we can get back on track this weekend. Halloween decorations need to go up outside, but it's been raining for days ...

xoxo

Friday Finds

Slim pickin's this week ... guess people are distracted by all the football!

Here's what I found:

Writing desk and swivel chair - $400

Perfect for a small space - even a spare corner in a bedroom. Would look great with an art collage over the desk, or one statement piece. And even with the top folded up, there's still a little ledge along the back, a great spot for a cool lamp.

Dresser, desk with 4 drawers,and bookcase with multiple shelves. $65

Oh, look ... I found more faux bamboo. It's a sickness. Love the hardware. I think they need some fun colors ... kelly green on the desk and lemon yellow on the dresser?

Eames replica rocker - $30

A classic. Great price. 'Nuff said.

High-end dining room furniture

This is gorgeous. I am in love.

Have a great weekend!
xoxo

Week(end) Recap

Tuesday ... TECO guys came by and trenched for the new natural gas lines to the cottage. Which means they shot the pipes underground with this giant machine ... no actual "trench-digging". Pretty neat stuff.

Side note ... slightly freaking out ... we signed up with TECO for gas service on 9/15. Supposed to take 8-12 weeks for installation. Cue to today (not even 3 weeks later) and the guys show up to trench the lines. Minor panic attack ... luckily I was home when the men came to put in the pipes. So now I need to order the water heater and start demolition of the hall closet so we're ready for the new plumbing in time.

Also ... ordered new natural gas outdoor tankless water heater for cottage to replace existing (20-year-old) one.

Wednesday ... recovering from Tuesday's panic attack and getting organized to move budget/scheduling around to accommodate being 7 weeks ahead of schedule.

Thursday ... Water heater sitting on front steps when I get home from work. Holy crap, that was fast.

Saturday/Sunday ... continue painting cottage kitchen. REALLY trying to get this project off the books. Got the rest of the doors primed on all sides and painted on at least one side; also got a second coat of tan on the base cabinets and white gloss on the uppers. Demo'd the shelving in the cabana bath. Next up ... taking out the drywall on the two interior walls so we can assess the plumbing situation.

Also ... picked up some clearance goodies from the 'rents - new bedding and dishes for the cottage. Also found some fabric on super markdown clearance at JoAnn ($3/yard!) - which solidifies the color palette for the cottage:

love this ... and so excited about how it coordinates with the new bedding:

Now I'm off to see what beautiful countertops I want can afford... wish me luck!
xoxo

Friday Finds

Happy October! A new month, can you believe it? Sometimes it seems to go by so fast.

Here's this week's Craigslist finds:

Thomasville wood coffee table with brass accents -- $45

It's been stripped, so it needs to be painted, but how fabulous! I love the detail on the brass accents. I'm thinking a little brass polish and some high-gloss black on the wood ...

Micro-fiber suede Ethan Allen sofa -- $500

... add this gorgeous sofa ...

Ethan Allen Hyde Sofa

... or this one (love the nailhead detail) ...

White leather wingback chair -- $350

And to cap off this glamorous living room that seems to be today's theme, here's a beautiful crystal chandelier:

5-tier crystal chandelier -- $200

Happy weekend, y'all!
xoxo

Halloween Inspiration

I love Martha. Seriously, she rocks, and hires the most creative people. As I am preparing my Halloween decorations to put up around the house this weekend, I keep referring to her Halloween Holiday issue (mine's from 2008), and marthastewart.com for templates and additional inspiration. I have already prepped my "bleeding" candles (#1, below) for the mantle.

Here's my inspiration board for this year:

[photo key] 
click on each number to link to Martha's how-to's:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Friday Finds

Happy Friday, y'all! Here's a couple of things I'm crushing on right now on Craigslist. I am addicted to Craigslist (I constantly search the one where I live, where my parents live, and also where my in-laws live before we go visit).

Today's lovelies:

Pottery Barn coffee table -- $150

Restoration Hardware bronze bar cart -- $199
I think the price on this is a little high, but these are so chic right now!

wrought iron and glass console table -- $100

Thomasville faux-bamboo sideboard -- $75
Can I just say now how much I LOVE faux-bamboo furniture?!

Thomasville Armoire -- $450
I know, this one's expensive -- but how gorgeous!

That's all this week! Have a great weekend!

xoxo

cottage kitchen cabinet painting

Last night we took all the cabinet doors down in the cottage kitchen, and prepped the cabinets for painting. I made sure to label all the doors and drawers so we can get everything back in the right spots! We'll be painting the doors this week - one or two primer coats and probably 2 or 3 coats of color.

Here's the look I'm sort of after:

 

I really like the two-toned cabinets, with the dark lowers and white uppers. I have a gallon of the new Behr paint & primer in one I picked up from the oops rack -- it's about this color:

I'll let you know how well it covers. And I've got about half a gallon left over of the new Martha Stewart paint, called Glass of Milk, high gloss for the upper cabinets.

This is our starting point:

Yep - it's tiiiiiiny. But it's only a guest house, so it will do. The navy blue is just so dark. It will look so much better when we get it painted out and get a new countertop. The window is fairly large, and right over the sink, so there is a decent amount of light. And there will be even more once I change out that dingy light fixture! Plus, the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, and that helps the space seem not so crowded.

I also really like this:

But I don't think we've got quite enough room, it may make the space feel too small. We'll see after it's all painted.

xoxo

(Bow) Wow

Whoops ... so, I guess I got a little distracted! It's been over a week since I posted last! Gotta get better about keeping up with the the blog ...

So anyway -- the reason I've been busy (besides the usual constant working, cleaning fixing up stuff) is ... we got puppies! That right, puppies. Not one, but two little rascals.

Aren't they cute? Very good boys (so far)! Let's hope it stays that way!

Back to the house stuff this weekend. And maybe some pool time, too.

xoxo

Productive holiday weekend!

Finally … I think we’re done painting.

Den/office -- check
Hallway -- check
Living room/sunroom -- check

Plus, we went ahead and painted most of the trim so it’s at least fresh. Even though I’d like to eventually update most of it and make it all match.

Also this weekend we managed to get some new furniture painted and a lot of the stuff in the office installed, including shelves and stuff on the walls.

Photos coming soon … too exhausted last night to do that.

Progress so far

OK, so far, here’s what we’ve gotten checked off the list:

• Unpack
• Paint living room
• Paint dining room/sunroom
• Paint bedroom {we're just going to live with the existing white for now - paint decisions to come later}
• Fix master closet shelving
• Attach Ikea bookcases to wall in sunroom (now the "library")

Here’s immediate stuff that’s left:

• Paint hallway
• Paint den (future home office)
• Baseboards in master closet
• Horizontal planking to cover brick in closet
• Horizontal planking to cover brick in living room and den
• New rug for living room
• Figure out how to do one of those checklists in the sidebar to make the to-do list easier to keep up with

Welcome! Come on In!

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I’m so excited to be starting this little adventure. I’ll be using this blog to journal all the {small and major} renovations we’ll be tackling here at Casa Summer, and also as a place to catalog {and organize} all my inspirations along the way.

Hope you’ll stick around!