Yard Reno | Part I

When summer arrived, we knew it was time for major exterior work. Matt's mom, Jayne, came to town a few months ago and helped us knock out some serious front and back yard demolition. It was three days of brick hauling, wood chopping, dumpster filling work. Now, our front yard is getting so much closer to livable. Overgrown shrubs, cracked brick planters, and rotten wooden flower beds are gone. This Friday we are having a concrete porch poured and some other concrete work down in the front and back of house. So much has changed already,yet nothing has been documented here - so I figured it was about time to show the yard progress we've been making.

About a month ago, a hail storm walloped our house. These photos were all before that storm, but even with the hail damage, our house is really coming along. Matt is such a hard worker - I seriously owe everything that looks better on the exterior to him (and Jayne). It's not pictured, but now the shrubs, brick, planters, and flower beds are all gone. I'm counting down the days until we can sit in chairs on the front porch and enjoy a few more summer nights outside, or have people over and utilize our front porch and yard for entertaining. (Yay!)

The Studio

Upstairs, at the very end of the hallway, there is what I've donned as "the studio." You see, I've always dreamed of having a space for art. A room to sprawl out with a mess: paper, paints, pencils, fabric, glue, and all the goods that messes typically spill out as when I make them. So when we moved, and ended up with three bedrooms in addition to a basement, this room emerged as the space I've always wanted. One filled with natural light, a big wide desk, and room to sprawl out. 

An art room really needs materials right at your fingertips, am I right? That way no setting up really has to happen. Its all right there, whenever you need it. It's kind of funny to think that the over the toilet shelf that we built for our tiny place in Denver has now become the perfect set up for all of my art supplies. You wouldn't even know it if I told you that is was in a bathroom for the past two years. Between the shelf, the wire drawers from Ikea, and the closet; this room has such great storage.

Secretly, I chose this room not only because of the lighting, but because it feels like you are in a treehouse. The ash tree in the backyard nearly reaches into the window. Its so calming and pretty to work on a piece of calligraphy or paint up here.

Although the closet side of the room is basically art storage until they each find a home on walls throughout the house, I feel like this room is pretty well under way. Eventually I'd like to have a little lounger or a comfy retro loveseat that can go between the door and the closet. Wouldn't it be great to just curl up with a book in here with a view into the winding branches of the ash tree outside? I've been playing with color ideas, and want to stick with something that is bright and clean, and still allows the aquas and red that are in the collection of art above the desk to have that pop. I may stick with the neutral for awhile until maybe just going with white, but I've also been toying with the idea of a color blocked/two-tone wall. Like this, this, or this. Kind of bold, BUT lately I'm obsessed with this idea. I'm just so thrilled to have a home. And so thankful to have this studio and space to make messes. Trust me, this is the cleanest its looked since we moved here ;)

Two Dressers, Lamps, and a Bed | Before

This is where you'll find me catching up on Downton Abbey on flake out Friday, or from 5:00 - 6:00 a.m. hitting snooze, or sipping my early morning coffee on those days I work later.  Our bedroom! The camera died about halfway through shooting our room, so this is really only part of the space. I know, I'm sorry! To the right of the bed are two windows, which are brilliant - literally. They give of so much light, and I intend to embrace that fully, you know, harness that clean and bright feel with crisp white window linens and such. And to the left of the wide dresser is the bathroom. Consider this an official before post (even if it's a halfsie). Half of the things in this room are old, thrifted, or waiting to be refurbished. Can you figure out which is which? There are a handful of Target and West Elm finds in here to. A gold star to the most correct guesses!

Oh and P.S. Went to Ikea today, and walked out a happy lady with the perfect pendant lamp. 

Guest Bedroom | Before

When you have one week from the day you move in until your best friend comes to visit, motivation settles and you get the guest room organized. With a south facing window, this room gets such a pretty light in the mornings. Pretty light means bright and cheery. And with the mix of florals, yellows, and whites, it helps bring in that spring time feel, year round. I mean, that's like an ideal feat - spring all the time! Whites, woods, and gold are the palette right now. This room reminds me a lot of my mom, who is a huge yellow gal (her whole house is shades of yellow!), and that makes me happy. :)

I just put up the curtains a few weeks ago, since it had no furnishings at all. Our whole house came like that: nice new windows with polar opposite furnishings (or none at all). The blinds in the master look like a shark took a bite our of them. And the drapes down stairs might still be the original from when the house was built in 77'. Anywho. Guests don't really want to wake up to neighbors peering at them through their windows, typically, so white linen curtains for the win. They are from the Threshold line at Target and the clean crisp look is just what I want in the rooms upstairs. Especially the rooms with south facing windows. I'm a sucker for the morning glow they tend to make. I love this room. Even in its plain state, it has so much potential already.

Upstairs Guest Bedroom Tour:

  

And to end this post, the most lady-like photo of Shelby: