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My Favorite Rug for the Living Room

July 13, 2020

My last rug in the living room was a shade of green that covered the dirt, but clashed with my brown walls. In between potty training two Bernese Mountain dog puppies we were ready for a rug that could not be hosed down.

Sound familiar? If you have pets you know the carpets take a direct hit sometimes. Especially during potty training and their first trash can raid or counter surf expedition. So when I found this navy and white rug for the living room it was love at first click. I found it at Overstocks and it is in and out of stock regularly.

Tip: Take advantage of the “notify me when in stock” button. It works. Target uses that option too and I got an alert when these prints were back in stock less than 24 hours after I had asked to be notified.

I am so excited to share a sneak peek of our new rug for our living room. While we wait for new windows I decided to take a good look at “the bones” of the living room. This room was love at first site so many years ago. A good friend of mine suggested when feeling stuck (with a room) to empty the room and put it back together. This method raised a few eyebrows when the family came home to the living room furniture in the hallway. But, if mama ain’t happy no one is happy.

Here was our living room last week. That chaise is my favorite piece of furniture in the house! You can find the details here.

There is no color in this room; even with the furniture. And, the previous rug was a cheap, quick fix to add a little color. I spent my free time searching for rugs on popular sites like Wayfair.

And, then I saw Karianne’s post about her new rug and more importantly where she found it. I don’t know when I stopped shopping at Overstock but my rug and my next rug are from Overstock.

I had a few specs for a new rug (thank goodness for the handy filter option on shopping sites). The new rug needed to be a medium shade of blue so I could go on either side of the blue color wheel for window treatments and accessories. I am a cautious color girl. And, I wanted a wool rug, but not one that would disrupt my Nordstrom fix.

Finally, the rug had to be soft underfoot because of the living room (and that chaise) that is the family’s favorite room to relax and enjoy the Colorado views. I love this rug so much! I can’t find it on Overstock, but here is a similar quality and it is on my radar. And, here is one more that I love.

And, then I found this rug at Overstock. It’s available in different colors, sizes and as a bonus, it is on sale.

I was so nervous when our blue rug arrived on my front porch. What if I didn’t love it? How would I return a 50-pound roll of wool? What if my ~~family~~ dogs hated it?

My son helped me drag, pull and push the new rug up a flight of stairs. Before the big reveal, I added a rug pad. I read that not only does it protect the wood floors (not that I would be opposed for a reason to refinish the floors), but a rug pad adds an extra layer of cushion.

I was this close to buying a larger rug, but then I found this reference for rug placement on Home Depot’s blog.

Stay tuned for more updates to this space! Where do you find new rugs?

Looking for inspiration on a budget check out this idea.

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Before and After Interior Paint Colors

June 4, 2020

“Do you think we can find paint ideas on Pinterest?” The fact that my husband knew how to use Pinterest in a sentence made me so happy. My mother still struggles with the correct pronunciation. So, “Yes, I think we can find paint ideas on Pinterest.” Which got me thinking about the power of paint in my own house with a look back at a few before and after interior paint colors around my house.

You, ready?

As a Realtor, I remind sellers that paint holds a lot of power in a room. Paint has the power to turn off or engage potential buyers when they walk through the front door.

Realtor Tip: The same can be said for tchotchke and toilet seat covers.

Paint can overpower the “bones” or the “energy” of the home.

I speak from personal experience too. Heavy, dated walls make rooms feel dark and clutter.

Paint can accent a feature wall or an office, but it can also scream the not so great details of a home’s interior.

Before and After Interior Paint Colors

You know those details that make funny stories or start a conversation at a buyer. I wonder who talked about our basement bonus room after they left our Christmas party?

Then and now …

Then …

and now…

Our family room then …

and our family room now. Still working on it!

and now….

An upper bedroom then …

and now. With a more sophisticated, college age shade of navy with a side of Revere Pewter.

And, an upper bathroom… before

to a softer shade of silver. Here is the complete before and after of this bathroom remodel.

What do you think? What room won the best before and after contest? Thank you for stopping by! Please follow along on my Instagram.

How to Replace Door Hardware & Hinges

March 24, 2020

Realtors have the unique opportunity to see homes without filters and creative angles. We see the hits and misses of updates. And, sometimes there are things we can’t unsee. As decor and DIY bloggers we live in a bit of a blogger bubble. Would you agree? But, for many homeowners, including a few friends and family, they have no interest in following decor trends or the top paint colors for 2020. For me, the first update I look for in a home is the condition of the door hardware. The excpetions to this include historical or homes built pre-1970’s where the original hardware adds value. But, for many of us, I am referring to the original builder grade door hardware. Here are a few suggestions on how to replace door hardware on a budget.

One of my favorite home updates is to replace door hardware and the often ignored door hinges. Replacing door hardware makes a big impact in a room because most homes have more than a few doors.

Our interior and exterior doors are a big part of the aestethics of a space.

And, this is why it makes so much sense to update the features that are used as often as the bathroom (that’s another favorite home update).

Don’t get me wrong I know the thought of updating door hardware is overwhelming (and pricey) and it is the last thing we want to do on a weekend.

But, stick with me; replacing door hardware makes a huge difference.

Here is the process we took to update the door hardware and hinges.

Break it down into manageable and budget-friendly timelines. For example, we have dozens of doors across multiple levels in our home. The “Jack and Jack” bathroom between our boys’ bedrooms has four doors in one bathroom. That adds up to four new door handles and twelve hinges for one space.

But the only thing worse than not replacing door hardware is not replacing all the hardware. You just have to grind through the replacement process.

2. But, to manage cash flow we replaced the most popular doors first; the popular doors used everyday or in sight everyday. We started with the entry door handles and our home’s main level.

3. Over the course of several months and weeknights, with nothing new on Amazon or Netflix, we tackled one to two doors at a time.

It reminded me of when we replaced these.

And, then one evening without much fan fare we installed our last set of door handles and hinges. It was a huge DIY box to check.

We love the look. And, like all trends, the finish of door hardware will change (who ever thought gold hues would be back), but the quality of door hardware tends to outweigh tthe finish trends.

And, don’t forget to update or clean up those door stoppers too!

Here is a more affordable project I did to update cabinet hardware in minutes.

Pottery Barn Knockoff Lamp

February 20, 2020

I love lighting for a room, but not so much on my face or in a dressin room. Lighting, and I always include twinkly lights, add mood and shadows. What I don’t love is the process of finding lamps for a space. There are too many details- you know like height and width. And, the pressure to find the correct lamp shade? There is not enough bandwith in my brain for correct lamp shade sizing. It is too much. My lamp search started in front of my tablet with a ~~cup~~ pot of coffee. And, then I called my sister to chat about my search for a Pottery Barn knockoff lamp. And, then we talk about nothing to do with lamps for 67 minutes.

My lamp search began on Pottery Barn’s site. I loved these lamps with their appropriate sized lamp shades and clear, sturdy base. But, I did not love the prices. I needed to pace my spending. Because something else always ends up in my Pottery Barn shopping cart once I click the “sale” tab at the top of the site. Anyone else shop just the “sale” tab?

The price was about $150.00 more than I wanted to spend for a lamp.

I took my search to Wayfair and found this lamp for 1/2 the price. The reviews were great too! The good news was the lamp was on sale. The bad news; was it was out of stock here. Here is a similar lamp from Wayfair.

Sidenote: I signed up for a “back in stock” alert.

Photo Credit: Wayfair.com

Pottery Barn Inspired Lamp

I was a little worried when the Wayfair lamp arrived. You know that nervous anticipation when you grab a pair of scissors to open the well-taped box? And, you say a little prayer to the shopping angels that the lamp resembles the photo from the website. Well, this lamp did not disappoint! It is sturdy and lampshade has a snug fit against the base (no wobble).

I love this lamp! I plan to buy a second one as soon as they are back in stock.

Oh, and I found this great resource for sizing up lamps.

How to Repurpose a Vintage Find that is Not Haunted

January 8, 2020

I love when I find something I did not know I needed for my home. I love to figure out how to repurpose a vintage find. And, I love it more when I find a way how to repurpose a find that is vintage and not haunted.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

I went thru a vintage store phase where, in between work or social commitments, I would stop into this popular vintage store south of Denver.

Ond day, in between the farmhouse finds and antiques I found a brassy, metal mailbox. I love mailboxes and sadly our suburban neighborhood does not have the individual mailboxes.

How to Repurpose a Vintage Find

I studied up on vintage mailboxes as I contemplated what to do with my find. Did you know in 1923 it was mandatory that every home had a mailbox? You can read the reason why here.

The challenge to repurpose a vintage find is to make sure it works with your home. And, just as important to make sure the vintage find is not haunted.

I learned this suggestion the hard way when my mother “gifted” me and my husband an antique rocking chair. It had been her family for a few generations in the Appalachian Mountains. It was covered in what appeared to be decades of dust.

My husband never liked this chair. I would find it in the garage for a variety of reasons; it was tilted, it was not safe for a child. Finally, my husband confided he was completely creeped out by the rocking chair.

Kind of like our basement in our first home. I’ll save that for another day.

He found a reason to haul it to the garage when the rocking chair mysteriously cracked-

better the rocking chair leg, than my husband. #wink

Thankfully, the mailbox was non-threatening. I planned to have it next to our back door to hold keys or dog leases. Unfortunately, neither keys nor dog leashes were needed next to the door that leads to the backyard.

Needless to say, that mailbox went around the block (house) a few times before it found its forever home in my home office.

With an ongoing office refresh, the vintage mailbox found a new home in my office, right next to the door. I painted it a sloppy coat of Hale Navy paint to give a pop of color on the Revere Pewter walls.

Of course, I did not grab a before photo. Epic blog fail!

And, in hindsight the brassy finish would look amazing in my recently repainted home office.

This vintage mailbox was a cute addition above the light switch. I loved the serendipity moment when I realized the mailbox ended up next to a door. Maybe not the front door, but my home office door.

Serendipity, right?

With the tiny door lift, centered on the front of the mailbox, the mailbox was ready for a re-purposed life.

Although this mailbox no longer holds the local newspaper I want to find a purpose for the scrolled arms.

Please leave any suggestions in the comments.

But, what I love most about this mailbox is it reminds us of the low tech version of mail delivery.

The little key entry on the front panel reminds us of a simple version of security.

In today’s email packed inboxes, this vintage mailbox find no longer holds mail; instead, it holds the stories from homeowners past.

Thank you for stopping by and please check out other repurposed projects here.

Garage Entry Door Makeover in an Hour

November 20, 2019

It’s the week of Thanksgiving. I should focus on mashed potatoes, fresh linens and a vacuum to reign in the dog hair. But that’s not what happened yesterday. In between a quick inventory of the Christmas trees and hauling out bags of clothes to drop off at Goodwill, I painted the garage entry door. That’s right in less than an hour I had a garage entry door makeover. Welcome home…

You know when you reach that point where you have to drop everything because something bugs you so much? Like a mosquito bite; that you can’t reach to scratch? Well, my garage entry door was that mosquito; except it was door and days before Thanksgiving.

This was the door a few years ago before it got a quick update with a coat of black paint and new hardware. But over the years the door got banged up with tennis bags and a 93 pound Bernese Mountain dog covered in mud.

She may also be the reason the updated door hardware tilts.

I switched things up with a couple quick coats of Chelsea Gray. The same paint I used to paint our living room hutch. There is an Instagram account just for Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray.

In our house, the entry door from the garage is the most popular door. The only one who visits the front door is the UPS or Fed Ex guy. So it only made sense that my family members have a door with fresh paint.

In less than an hour, I had a garage entry door makeover. And I added a little something to welcome my family home.

It turns out the crazy, packed schedule is the deadline I needed to haul out a paint tarp. The time spent painted rolled by quickly with thoughts of all three of my children home for a few days. #fullhouse

I plan to make these as these breakfast rolls in the days before Thanksgiving.

Hello there!

How to Pair Hale Navy & Revere Pewter Paint

October 21, 2019

Do you ever worry about change? When did a paint color take over our thoughts? When did a paint color send us to Pinterest pages and every home magazine in the checkout aisle? Searching for the right answer on a paint color? I had a nice break from painting after the interiors were painted Revere Pewter a few years ago. It was so much brighter than our previous, Tuscany inspired paint colors in the early 2000’s. But somewhere during this blog decision, I got bored with all the greige. And decided to pair Hale Navy and Revere Pewter paint.

I created a Pinterest board filled with pins of Hale Navy and Revere Pewter. I started small with arches and niches; they must have been the architectural thing in the early 2000s.

Like this little nook that sits under the staircase. Here was the Revere Pewter painted niche.

How to Pair Hale Navy & Revere Pewter Paint

I crossed the hall over to the dining room where I followed the trend of painting one more niche.

And, then I ventured into carrying the Hale Navy under the dining room wall around the windows. We had recently removed a half wall between the kitchen and the dining room.

With the additional light, I decided the room could handle a bold blue like Hale Navy. The kitchen transitions to Revere Pewter.

Here is the dining room window ledge after I painted the walls Hale Navy. Full room pictures soon!

I loved the dining room so much I went around the corner and painted my office Hale Navy. Here’s a peek at my office. It is the pantry for the next month during our kitchen demo.

Here is a peek of my office. This has been the longest reveal. I binged Bridget Jones when I painted the room on a weekend.

And, now I am wondering if I went off the rails in my quest to pair Hale Navy to Revere Pewter paint?

How to Paint a Stained Door

October 9, 2019

There was no turning back once I started to paint the back side of our front door. The decision to paint the stained front door was a long, agonizing one. Translation? I spent too much time (and coffee) searching Pinterest. Of course, I am obsessed with these doors, but I am pinching pennies as we get ready to demo our kitchen. The difficult decision was based on the fact that once the white paint was in play it was not easily undone.

How to Paint to Stained Front Door

Here is the stained front door from inside the entryway. And, yes, the white trim around the stained door was an existing eyesore.

Steps to Paint a Stained Door

I made the decision not to remove the door from the door’s hinges. With my erratic Realtor schedule, I wanted to be able to lock up the house if needed.
Lightly sand the stained door and remove dust a debris front door’s surface.
Paint the sidelights first. If I hated the paint it would be easier to restain one sidelight than the entire front door.

At this point, I could see the transformation from the oak stain to a bright white to match the adjacent closet door.

You know that moment when you love the decision you agonized over for weeks?

This was that kind of moment for a DIY girl!

New hardware to match the closet door hardware finished the look. If you zoom into you can see we missed a few hinges when we updated the door hardware around the house. I shared that project here.

Painting the interior side of the stained front door made the space brighter.

Look at the before and after side by side photo. Painting the stained doors made a huge difference in a matter of hours and a 1/2 gallon of paint. If you want to do a deep dive on the prep details, check out my go to handyman,

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Dining Room Table is Our Giving Tree

September 5, 2019

Do you know the book, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein? The classic children’s book was described as one of the “most divisive books in children’s literature.” I sided with the tree. You? And, I bet our dining room table wood too. Did you see what I just did? Our dining room table is our giving tree.

Here is her story.

We found our dining room table at a furniture store in Denver. We purchased it when we moved from Westerville, Ohio to Colorado. My traditional, cherry stain furniture did not work in our brownstone in the suburbs home.

My husband and I equally loved this dining room table and like proud parents we were happy to show it off to friends and family.

Like most dining rooms, however, the dining room table was located in the most unpopular room in the house. But over the years, our dining room table carries the load for our family.

Our dining room table turned into the catchall for tennis racquets, shopping bags, sweaty uniforms, and mail. It was our giving table.

Dining Room Table

During the holidays, we cleared the table’s clutter and dust and topped it off with a layer of furniture oil. Seasonal tablescapes were created over her rough edges. Friends shared their interest in our table if we decided to sell our possessions and move into

… a tiny house.

But, it turns out there is a twist in The Giving Tree analogy. Maybe, we gave a little bit of love back to the dining room table.

Let me explain.

During our first Thanksgiving, with a dozen relatives squeezed around our table, we discovered that the rough edges and bumps on the surface were a bit of a challenge for the dining experience.

It turns out the glasses wobbled.. like Weebles.

My husband panicked and had plans to order a glass table top. Over my grey roots (see what I did there)? On that Thanksgiving night, I fell more in love with our table; it wasn’t perfect. The design to create a table for a Colorado home, it turned out, could not keep a wine glass level. The glasses wobbled. Kind of like grandma after her second glass of Chardonnay. Grandma blamed the table.

Maybe it was the table. Our table.

My husband suggested a glass top for the table. I suggested bubble wrap placemats. It turned out, the table’s imperfections became the best conversation starters with a table full of guests (and drinking glasses). And, just like the book, our dining room table gave us a little bit more.

Revere Pewter Paint in Family Room

August 29, 2019

Do you know that feeling when you see a photo of yourself and your like, “That is not what I look like?” Well, that’s the same reaction I had when I uploaded house photos. “My family room doesn’t look like that? Oh yes, it does, Laura. Oh, yes it does. And, I remembered the power of paint.

Revere Pewter Paint

I spent months on this page to narrow down my decision on the paint color for our home’s interior.

I love the Revere Pewter paint on the family room walls, but these photos show a little more blah than boom. And, it wasn’t until I took those photos that I realized I have some family room goals this fall. I was on the right track when I added these pillows.

The basket with the pillows is one of my favorite things in the room. I love the contrast between the wicker and the blue & white pillows. See that tennis ball in the background? I have a photo collage of random tennis balls.

When you are a tennis family you find tennis balls just about everywhere. Last spring I painted the nook above the fireplace Hale Navy and loved the contrast against the Revere Pewter paint on the walls.

The Revere Pewter paint is carried throughout most of the house. Our home is an open main level so you can catch glimpse of the Revere Pewter on most walls.

Here is a glimpse of our new windows from earlier this summer. The new windows transformed the room. We replaced all the windows with clear glass (no grids).

And, then I captured this blank wall and I was like, “Oh, that’s rough Laura.” Now what?

Our dream, okay my dream, is to knock down that wall and add a dual-sided fireplace (the living room is on the opposite side). But until then I need something on those walls.

And, look I spy another tennis ball (and a wandering power cord).

How to Remove a Half Wall

August 22, 2019

Between the Kitchen & Dining room

The good news is my husband and I are still married after we removed a half wall between the dining room and kitchen. It was so much easier than we anticipated. It opened up the wall between our kitchen and dining room and brought light into the north side of the house that craves a little sunshine.

The decision to remove the half wall was the biggest project my husband and I have tackled. It was bigger than this project.

It required trust, grit, patience and an electrician to run interference and move an outlet. To appreciate the after here is a quick view of the dining room a few years ago.

And, yes I picked that color.

The dining room was the gateway to the kitchen. And, with a narrow passage and the half wall, the kitchen felt more like a cave. Here is the wall from the dining room. To the left is the door size entry into the kitchen.

Here’s the view from the dining room. By removing this wall we could take advantage of the light from the large dining room windows.

How to Remove a Half Wall | Before

Here’s the view from the kitchen.

We removed the half wall that housed the microwave and surrounding cabinets. Before we removed the upper cabinets along this “party” wall we cleared the contents from the cabinets. We wanted to make sure we would not miss the cabinet space.

We also had to reconfigure where to store the microwave. It has settled in a corner on the counter.

How to Remove a Half Wall | Electrical & Plumbing Details

We hired a plumber and electrician to move the mechanics to the left inside the frame. We had to add an additional outlet on the dining room wall side per electrical code. Total costs for the mechanical was just under $300.00.

Pain in the arch

The arch was the trickiest part of this wall removal. We had the small arch where the original entry into the kitchen existed. The main level of our house has arches in and out of every room so we wanted to keep the design. But, we had to remove the original arch before we recreated a wider arch to accomodate the extended lenght of the newly opened half wall.

Arch Solution

My husband found Archways & Ceilings, a US-based company, that specializes in creating arches. With simple instructions on their website, my husband measured the expanded wall opening. Within a week we had an MDF template ready to install.

We framed the top of the wall with 2×4’s and attached the MDF arch to the frame. It required a drill and screws. It was a great, affordable solution. The total cost of the MDF arch was around $100.00. The time saved: priceless.

We love the space between the kitchen and dining room and it looks like the way we envisioned it.

And, the best part of this half wall removal project was how quickly we finished it. From start to finish it was a total commitment of two-ish weekends. It took almost a week to find and wait for this solution for the extended arch. The quotes we received for half wall tear down project were north of $6,000.00.

We completed this project for less than $1500.00. This included the cost for the plumbing and electrical. Woohoo!

How to Remove a Half Wall

Simple Idea to Update the Kitchen Island

August 19, 2019

My kitchen is on the waitlist for a renovation. Every month she moves up the list patiently waiting to get her measurements taken, her drawers evaluated and her cooktop lifted and replaced. But, until the kitchen moves to the top of the waitlist, I found a simple kitchen island update in an hour.

My family expected me to add under cabinet lighting with Christmas lights.

But I played it safe with a quart of paint and a roller. Seriously, I did not even haul out a roll of painter’s tape!

Simple Kitchen Island Update

In the time it took to watch the BH90210 reboot, minus the commercials, the kitchen island was updated.

Because it was an island I did not need to climb a ladder. Because it had natural stop and start points, I did not take the time to tape the space. I used the trim work to guide my brush.

The kitchen island paint color went from dependable Revere Pewter to Kendall Charcoal in minutes.

All of a sudden, my baseboards popped against the new paint color. Even my dulled floors look a little less scuffed.

A coat of Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal transformed the space. Just like Pinterest promised. I love this color because it works seamlessly with colors like Revere Pewter and Hale Navy. I posted sneak peeks of my Hale Navy dining room on Instagram.

A big part of the kitchen renovation includes the removal and replacement of a larger kitchen island. So my decision to paint the island was a low risk, low effort to just give her a little tweak.

If you blinked you might have missed the subtle update. The boys in my house missed it… for weeks.

What do you think? Do you have ideas for inexpensive updates?

5 Kitchen Sink Ideas Before Thanksgiving

August 6, 2019

Have you looked at the calendar? We are on the backend of summer!Last week, I ran into HomeGoods (I capitalized the G) and there were pumpkin theme pillows on the shelves.

I like to plan DIY projects for late August, so when my husband and I return to Colorado after dropping our boys off at college, I have a distraction. My kitchen remodel includes new cabinets, appliances and counters. Oh, and an expanded island. My husband looked a little nautious when we started talking specifics (money). I suggested he focus on sinks. Because, you cannot have a kitchen without a sink. I pointed him in the right direction by finding 5 kitchen sink ideas.

5 Kitchen Sinks Ideas before Thanksgiving

This is the only image of my stainless, double overmount sink. It is an overmount sink which means it collects gunk around the edges. Ithink it is called an overmount. These are the questions that flood my mind during the day.

I shared a post about how to keep the kitchen sink pretty a few weeks ago. I never shared a photo of my kitchen sink. That post got me thinking about what I want in a kitchen sink.

Kitchen Sink Envy on Pinterest

Before I remove the kitchen island I want to share a few kitchen sink ideas to manage my kitchen sink envy. The first two kitchens below reflect what I want in my new kitchen; white cabinets, clean counters and darker cabinets for the kitchen island.

This stainless steel apron sink would be a definite upgrade to my sink. How do we feel ladies and guys about a dual sink versus one large sink? Please weigh in below in the comments.

Here is a second kitchen with white cabinets. This kitchen includes a stainless, under-mount, dual sink. Can someone explain to me the advantage to a single oversized sink? My sink habits include dirty dishes in one half of the sink and the other side of the sink is reserved for hand washing. #hashtagsuburbanmomprobs

Source: Decaholic

Moving on, what do you think of the darker sink? i can’t tell if it’s aged copper. Either way, I love the contrast between the white cabinets and the darker sink.

However, I am a little distracted by the tschoke surrounding the kitchen sink. And, dear Lord please don’t let this be a blog friend’s sink!

Source: Pinterest

Porcelain Kitchen Sink Envy

Okay, this kitchen has white counters and dark cabinets. I love the brass lights and cabinet hardware. Who has a porcelain sink? Be honest, what are the drawbacks? Does it chip? And, that’s not a deal breaker if there is some kind of epoxy strength fix.

I like the idea of an apron on the front. The kitchen cabinet below my kitchen sink is filthy. The cabinet’s crevices are the catch-all for coffee grounds and bacon grease. Eww! A kitchen sink apron would solve that problem.

Source: Pinterest

Finally, I had to share a copper kitchen sink I found on Wayfair. Personally, I think a copper sink is too fancy for my cooking skills. Where do you weigh in on a copper kitchen sink?

RV kitchen with a copper sink and butcher block counter tops

Source: Joyfully Growing Blog

Thanks for stopping by today. What is your favorite sink? Thinking about a new sink? Check out this sink guide on Apartment Therapy.

Living Room Chaise With a View

June 24, 2019

We knew we made the right furniture choice when the dog claimed the living room chaise mid-day before the family rolled in after work, school and tennis practice. My husband claims it after work- it is his recharging station. In our house, the living room chaise wins the popular vote.

The unwritten rule is whoever lands on the chaise first, gets the chaise!

It reminds me of when my four siblings and I called shotgun as we ran down the stairs to fight for the front passenger seat in Mom’s Suburban.

The fact that there is no television in our living room, speaks to the chaise’s popularity. With wide cushions and just-enough length, it is perfect for an end of day nap as the rains roll in over the mountains.

We found our chaise at Crate & Barrel. You can find the dimensions and details here. We passed right by this chaise when we did an initial loop around the showroom floor.

We wanted a couch or club chairs to fit the awkward, rounded wall and tiny nook in the living room. The living room is complicated.

Living Room Chaise

Never underestimate the power of pillows

The secret to the chaise’s popularity is with the pillows. My husband and I did not see the vision. But, thank goodness the sales associate pointed out the power of bolster pillows. The pillows make the chaise’s role in our living room flexible. It can be shoved against a wall or “free float” in front of our living room window.

And, the best part of this purchase was it took place during Crate & Barrel’s annual Labor Day sale.

The chaise is comfortable, stylish, flexible and the perfect spot to catch a nap or sneak in a chapter in my latest pick from this site.

The chaise was our Aussie’s favorite place to relax. I used to shoo Tanner off, but as his hips failed, I whispered in his ear, “You earned this Tanner.” We have visions of Tanner on security detail on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

The chaise was such a classy-casual addition to the living room I had to upgrade the rug. All of a sudden my indoor/outdoor rug felt like it belonged outside. I upgraded to this rug for a comfier feel our feet (or paws).

living room chaise for the win

And, with these views, the chaise is the perfect spot to watch the weather roll in over the mountains.

Copy Cat Pottery Barn Bathroom Vanity

June 20, 2019

When our son left for college my husband and I put our blood, sweat and tears into our daughter’s bathroom remodel. We tore out the tile and the tub in a weekend. The remaining tiled shower, new shower glass door install, drywall, flooring took months and that was the just the decisions on tile, flooring and the bathroom vanity. We landed on a copy cat Pottery Barn Vanity Find. And, we saved a thousand dollars!

We finished the bathroom remodel project days before Thanksgiving; just in time for our daughter to arrive home (from Denver-12 miles away) to stay for the Thanksgiving week. The fun part of the bathroom remodel was finding a copy cat Pottery Barn Bathroom Vanity find. It was worth the time to finish an exhaustive search and a few trips to the big box stores.

Like many home-related purchases, my initial searche took me to the Pottery Barn website. Funny how that works!

I had my eye on this Pottery Barn Vanity. It was everything I wanted in color, size and a countertop.

Source: Pottery Barn

But my daughter’s bedroom’s new purpose was to be a future guest bedroom and bath. My husband was not on board with Pottery Barn’s price tag for a bathroom that would be used infrequently.

In a rare moment, I totally agreed with his opinion on this purchase. It was a calculated decision because I knew I would have stronger opinions on price negotiations for our master bathroom remodel.

Copy Cat Pottery Barn Bathroom Vanity Find

I took my online search in a different direction and searched for similar vanities at a different price point. I shared my search results with my husband and we both decided on this bathroom vanity from Lowes. With a price tag of $749.00, it was perfect for our runaway budget after the shower install. So many lessons learned when doing a DIY renovation.

Our vanity was slightly different from the cabinet setup, but the countertop and slatted shelf were the same. This copy cat bathroom vanity was functional, pretty, trendy and economical. The gray lightened up this windowless bathroom and was a nice update from the original oak builder grade vanity.

With a pretty new countertop (included with the vanity) I added these cute little canisters to store a few essentials.

Life Lessons in Seating Arrangements

June 19, 2019

In the sixth grade, my daughter wrote a letter to the Assistant Principal protesting the lunchroom seating arrangments. She did not agree with the rule that she had to eat lunch with her classmates from the last class before lunch. She argued she should be able to eat lunch with her friends and not her peers from English class. It turns out she was about to learn a few life lessons in seating arrangements.

Despite a passionate, handwritten letter, her decision was overruled.

Life Lessons in Seating Arrangments

My daughter continued to sulk (complain) until one day she noticed that funny sixth-grade boy sitting next to her at the lunch table. “Mom, Anthony is so funny.”

It turns out she found a few life lessons in seating arrangments over the lunch hour.

Apparently, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Just like middle school students, I am obsessed with seating arrangments with cozy corners that include chairs, benches, and barstools.

I purchased these chairs at Williams-Sonoma while shopping online for a zucchini spiralizer. I had a $37 balance on a gift card from my in-laws. Somehow, I ended up with four white, upholstered chairs and a matching, upholstered bench in my online hopping cart.

And, visions of conversations over wine or coffee danced in my head.

The upholstered chairs sit around this table we bought when we moved to Denver. The table’s raw edge surface make it impractical for table settings, but we love this table. Our dining room table is the center of attention when we entertain.

I added two barstools for the open seating we created when we knocked out this wall between the kitchen and dining rooms.

Visions of a breakfast bar gave way to a drop off site for the mail and Amazon.

Pillows are a great way to create cozy seating. I found these down-filled pillows at HomeGoods. A woman in front of me in the checkout line said she found the same pillows in velvet at Christmas.

I love when I can have best friend level conversation with a complete stranger over pillows in the lines at Homegoods.

I tucked this upholstered chair from Wayfair under a window. It’s a great chair for the overflow from the kitchen. I never want to be short a seat for the unexpected guest.

Here is a new seating arrangement I am working on in our family room. It is never too early to think about the holidays and guests and seating.

And, the promise of finding new life lessons along the way.

What are your favorite life lessons related to your home?

Before and After Interior Paint Colors

Pottery Barn Inspired Lamp

How to Repurpose a Vintage Find

How to Pair Hale Navy & Revere Pewter Paint

How to Paint to Stained Front Door

Steps to Paint a Stained Door

Dining Room Table

Revere Pewter Paint

Between the Kitchen & Dining room

How to Remove a Half Wall | Before

How to Remove a Half Wall | Electrical & Plumbing Details

Pain in the arch

Arch Solution

We completed this project for less than $1500.00. This included the cost for the plumbing and electrical. Woohoo!

How to Remove a Half Wall

Simple Kitchen Island Update

5 Kitchen Sinks Ideas before Thanksgiving

Kitchen Sink Envy on Pinterest

Porcelain Kitchen Sink Envy

Living Room Chaise

Never underestimate the power of pillows

Copy Cat Pottery Barn Bathroom Vanity Find

Life Lessons in Seating Arrangments

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