There are two ways to approach decorating a new home; 1. shop and buy everything you want immediately and fill up your place within a few weeks or months, or 2. take time, live in the space, find out what you really need what works for you and purchase bit by bit. We …
Remodel Update: the Kitchen
The kitchen came with original cabinetry from 1981…ohhhh vintage? Not really. While the dated look along with small boxed in kitchen seem overwhelming and limiting [seriously why was everything in the 80s’ boxed in with low ceilings?] the transformation was exhilarating. Looking at the before and after you may wonder… is that even the same place???? …
Remodel Update: Balcony Make-Over
When you don’t have a garden you can easily access the balcony becomes your connection to nature and outdoor relaxation. Some prefer the wild “I’m in a jungle photographing rare animals” approach to decorating their terrace while others mimic spas or pool sides where they visualize sipping drinks and tanning. Our approach is to make the balcony …
Five Ways To Stay [somewhat] Stress Free During Your Remodel
You got me. A stress-free remodel/ renovation doesn’t exist but out of personal and professional experience I can give you the easiest ways to insure you are less stressed during your remodel, short of hiring someone to worry for you. 1-Have a schedule: Be sure it’s clear and check it off, checklist style, as tasks get competed. …
Remodel Progress: It’s All Coming Together
The kitchen Cabinets, wardrobes and bathroom vanities all arrived at the end of April and began getting installed this first week of may. It’ so exciting [and stressful] to see everything coming together and watching these walls and empty space turn into the home we have been trying to visualize in our minds for months now- like …
Finding the Right Shade Of White Paint
Painting your walls white is no easy feat. Firstly you have to convince your contractor that, yes you want the purest white paint on the market, no beige or grey hues. And somehow even the paint dubbed snow white is missing its purity. I thought it would be as pure as snow, but it’s grey hue leaves …
Remodel Progress: Marble Counter vs Porcelain Slabs
Kitchen installation is still weeks away but nothing beats advanced preparation when dealing in a business that fluctuates so much in material, labor, cost and availability. The goal right now is to have the kitchen and bathroom counters installed as soon as possible after the kitchen installation, like, 2 days after [!!] - so selecting …
The Tilemma: Life Lessons in Choosing Tiles For Your Home
Life Choosing tile is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. We drove out to San Antonio to look at tile samples and narrow down a final selection of options we had been looking at online. Four different tile selections were needed all of which had to be in stock as …
The Shower Head
You know you’ve reached THAT certain point in your life when you get excited about ordering shower new heads. Yes, maybe you know it too; that point where you are falling asleep earlier, waking up earlier and hangovers last 2 days… right, well I’m really excited about this one shower system coming my way. The …
Walls Down, Ceiling Up!
The most important goal in this remodel was getting more space. The ceilings in all major rooms; bedrooms, living and dining reach a luxurious height for a 1980s condo. However major space was lost in the guest bath, kitchen and laundry room due to lower ceilings and a previous owner who had decided to turn …