Nightstands construction

This is the beginning stages of my nightstand. Right now I am only building one to make sure I have all of my ducks in a row. Like my previous piece, the bench for the hallway, I have ripped down 1 inch strips of furniture grade plywood and stood them on edge then glued and clamped them together. I alternated the strips, 20 inch and 18 inch strips, to build individual panels, i.e. the sides, top and bottom, so they will interlock with each other when assembled.



Below I have started the base assembly notching and interlocking four 4 inch strips and attaching them to the base. After a night of letting the glue set I will join all of the pieces together and begin the drawer assembly.

Peeps

I love this photo from 20x200. It's called "Peeps" of course, by Katie Baum.
You can get it right here.

puti trees

I'm loving these prints by Nod Young a designer based in Beijing.
These are titled "the puti trees" and are an interpretation of 2 poems from the original zen classic. I found these on printpattern, but you can buy them here.

I'm still on the lookout for art work for our dining room. Could these be the solution? I have it in my head that a painting needs to go there, but maybe a few prints instead...

elephant print

Brandon just saw this print on trays and glasses at IKEA. I'm madly in love with it. I wish they had it in fabric. I would use if for a cushion. I want Brandon (carpenter) to make a long shelf for the bedroom for my yoga books. I'd like to paint it white and put a cushion or pillows on top. If anyone has seen this in fabric form, let me know.

Base! How low can you go?

The base of the new bench has been assembled and I am currently working on the platform for shoes located beneath the bench top. Above is a pic of the base in construction. I utilized my previous method for construction with pegs and glue. I seem to be adverse to using anything but wood and glue. The legs are 18" high each and I used a regular handsaw and 3/4" chisel to notch out the tops to slide the 1"x 2" piece of oak through with 2 pegs each. Previously when drilling the 1/4" holes for the 1/4" pegs I used a regular drill bit but this time I decided to use a 1/4" spade bit instead. My reasoning was that with the drill bit the pegs were very snug and difficult to insert so I went with the spade bit which bores out the holes. It made it very easy for the pegs to slide in and a bit loose making the base not as solid or stable. I adjusted and learned my lesson. No more spade bits. Tomorrow I'll post the pics of the next phase of the bench assembly. Thanks and check back soon.

Which way to go?

I've begun building the bench for our hallway. Above you'll find the top which I have already assembled and still planing down. Inspired by several designs I've come across but still wanting to continue and push my own design from the previous benches I built (see dining room), this top is a new direction for me. Purchasing a 4' x 8' sheet of oak plywood for $45, I ripped it down in 8' x 1 1/4" inch strips. I stood the strips up in a jig I built (retrofit the previous jig) and glued the strips together, clamping as I go. A good couple hours of sanding with a course grit sandpaper on a belt sander and then a little while with the fine grit on the palm sander should smooth this bench top like glass. With the left over ply wood I am utilizing the same technique and building smaller boards for shoe cubbies underneath. The striations will go in the opposite direction though. I love the lines.

bench coming soon

This is the area that Carpenter is referring to. Our entryway has a narrow jog in the wall that makes it perfect for a long bench.

Carpenter has actually started building the bench and will hopefully start posting photos soon. (hint hint)



The coat hooks are great for visiting guests and dog leashes...
You can have your very own here.

Sitting the bench.

When entering or leaving our condo I often find myself on the floor lacing up my boots or taking them off. Since we have a slim cove in our long hallway entrance, I plan on building a bench for this area making it easier and much more welcoming for any visitors. The idea is for the bench to fill this 96"x16" space and to have built in cubby holes to place our shoes. Below are some design inspirations I have been looking at in which I may utilize one or many ideas and incorporate them into my design.


I like the space this one allows underneath but I feel it may be too boxy for my intentions and make the hallway feel claustrophobic.


I really like this design because of the multiple cubby hole space that is incorporated into the design and not as big or clunky.


I know this doesn't have the shoe cubbies we are looking for but I really like this design and think some can be added and still maintain it's sleekness.


I'm not so sure about this one but I love the simplicity of it's manufacturing. Soon as I saw it I realized how easy it is to build.

All these benches can be found at Design Public.

pillow talk

I had grand plans for pillows to put around the dining room. I had downloaded patterns and fabric colors and I did little layouts. Then I figured out how many pillows I actually needed. 14.

The day I came up with this number, Carpenter and I went to Ikea to look at picture frames. The economy won on this one. I ended up buying pre-made pillow cases and pillows from Ikea. Then I had enough Marimekko fabric left over to have 1 side of 3 pillows sewn with this fabric.


It is a cozy place to sit and have cocktails...I must admit.


And the great thing about bringing in color with the pillows is that I can change the look later on by swapping out a few.

wall art part 3

I have a lot of wall space in my dining room. I've been dying to have something to break up all of that soft gray. Carpenter was kind enough to hang these today before jumping on the road for a job out east. (thank you)


I got these prints from Good Shape Design
I'm totally loving the partridges. Plus it's nice to have a little splash of red. And the tree is mighty cute, as well.

Dog decorating

No we are not remodeling a room for our dog.

Riley gets a bit stressed out when we have guests sometimes. As our guests were leaving the other night, we noticed Riley decided to do a tiny bit of decorating himself.

This is also a sneak peek into a later project. I'm not sure if the bathroom will be phase 3 or 4, but trust me, it needs some love.

wall art part 2

This is in our living room which I've only blogged about on one other occasion, because the living room is phase 2 of our remodeling project. We are still in phase 1. This was actually the first thing we hung on the walls. Carpenter hung it about 3 weeks ago (although I bought it months ago) and I just couldn't stop staring at it. I was just so happy to have something on the walls.

Now that it's been up for awhile I still look at it a lot. I must just like the print.




And the orange in it is brought out by the orange on our fireplace.
We got this print from 20 x 200. Get on their email list. It's a bit hit and miss, but when they email you something you like, jump on it. The good stuff can sell out in a matter of minutes.

re-use modern

If I needed a dresser I would be all over this one. Zoe Murphy, a young British designer prints on used mid 20th century modern furniture. She has some fun wall prints, as well.


see more here

wall art part 1

Hurray! We are finally starting to get stuff on our walls. It's weird that somehow they make it an seem like a real room. This is especially funny considering the things we don't have in our bedroom.

A few things still lacking in our bedroom: nightstands, doors, proper lighting and a rug.

I ordered these prints from Binth a million years ago it seems, but it took us forever to get around to getting frames. The prints with matting were 12.25" square and so we ended up ordering 12" frames and trimming.


note: since this photo was taken, carpenter has hung them straight. :-)





I didn't even realize this at the time, but I apparently had an animal theme going. From right to left: octopus, chicken, dragon. Check out more prints on Binth.

cushion love

Our dining room cushions are finished! Actually they have been finished for a bit, but I'm just getting around to sharing.

There are actually 3 cushions covered in Marimekko fabric. We have a family friend that is just great at sewing anything. (I'm very envious.)

On the back wall (the longest wall) the cushions are 3 ft deep. Our plan is to line the whole wall with large pillows. I want the fabric to be upholstery fabric again. I just need to decide on colors and patterns for all the pillows. We have a little fabric left over. Plus I want to do solid black, solid red and then add another pattern with an additional color I'm also considering adding a long, black square bolster along the back on the long cushions.



The benches are super fabulous. My hubby made them and we decided to paint them black. It just brings everything together more.



He made the tables also and I love them! I don't love the stain color though. The stain I picked out was pretty light and pretty neutral but when he went to stain them the color was completely different. It actually looked gray...silvery gray. Very weird. We were in a crunch since we were having people over. Carpenter decided at the last minute to stain them the color of our trim, which is the color of our floor and very close to the color of our timber ceiling. A bit much...So the tables will already be getting a makeover.

The worst blogger ever

Hello peeps.
Yes. I am the worst blogger ever. I'd like to blame it on work, yoga study, my trip to India...or the election. Go Obama!!
But the reality is that I'm just not that good at this. With that said, I will be posting again in the next few days.

There are actually changes to report! We are actually starting to put stuff on our walls. We have cushions on our benches
and have a plan for bedroom doors. Hurray! Stay tuned!

dining room happenings

There is much happening with our dining room. Sorry for the delay on updating the blog.

So here goes. No more canned lighting (in the dining room, anyway.)We now have more dining room appropriate lighting. We love it. It totally changed the mood of the room. Dimmer switch to come soon.


We went with a West Elm item to counter balance the price of our fabric. I love the foo foo contrast of the lighting against all of the brick and timber in our condo.


A little reminder of the fabric I ordered for our benches.


It just arrived from Finland. Yea! And it's now in the hands of a fabulous seamstress.
The fabric is called Kirsikka from Marimekko.

We also got our chairs to go opposite the benches.




They are bent plywood chairs from CB2.

And of course our fabulous benches and tables are compliments of my husband. He is staining them this week so they will be all ready for our new cushions.

Marking things off the list. I'm loving it!

Here is where the dining room stands at the moment.

When it is finished we will rent some lights and take better photography of our finished projects.

Contents of Tables

1. 4x4x30 1/4 piece of red oak, pre-sanded and routed out 3/4" for the table supports; pictured here

2. A carefully chosen piece of 4'x8' red oak plywood. I dug through the stack to find an exceptional grain with great repetition and color variation.

From one piece of plywood I was able to assemble three table tops. I sandwiched pieces together with glue and belt sanded the sides for a clean finish with an excellent pattern.

3. The base was assembled with 1x4 oak pieces notched, sanded then pegged to the 4x4 post. Angled pieces were then fit into the routed top of the post as supports for under the table.

Finally I assembled the table top to the base by flipping the tops over then aligning and squaring off the base upside down on top of the table top. Below are final pics of the first table.



I am quite excited about actually placing these in our dining room. Art Director and I can then decide how to finish the set, whether we stain or just prime and seal them. One final sanding is still needed but I don't want to do that until we come to a finish decision.
Look for the final color reveal coming soon.

Time to clamp down

Though I am finished with the construction of the benches (primer and sealer are yet to be finished due to aesthetic conflict over stain) I figured I would post some photos of the process. Above you'll see the base assembly after being pegged and glued. Though the pegs are strong enough I used glue to give it a little something extra. (Sort of like the jalapenos in Art Director's guacamole!) Below you'll seer the front and back of the base before final base assembly.

Since the benches are 3 feet wide I had to assemble the tops from three separate pieces of 1" wood using dowels. It worked well but not as great as I would have thought. Much sanding was done to make the top as seamless as possible.

The final step of the assembly process was attaching the top to the base after a preliminary sanding. I flipped the top over on to the workbench and then placed the base upside down on top of that. I carefully marked out the base and the aligned the holes for the placement of 1/4" pegs. As you can see I glued, clamped and pegged the top to the base and let it set for 24 hours before doing another rough sanding.

Here I have gathered all three benches for in a mock set up of how they would lay out in our dining room. If you look carefully you'll see the beginnings of the table tops resting carefully on top.

a fireplace makeover

well the fireplace is actually part of phase 2 of the remodel (since it's in the living room) but since we were buying paint anyway, we thought we would give it a little love.


here is what it looked like before the paint. it was a pale yellow color and had cheap home depot marble tiles around the fireplace opening. the marble was so random. it really didn't go with anything else.


here is what it looks like now. we added rust colored paint to the walls. then we primed and painted over the white marble with a charcoal gray. (the true color is unfortunately hard to tell from the photo) all of the other walls in the living room are brick so it's the only place to add some color.

we have many other plans for the living room and the fireplace, but they will have to wait until we have completed our projects in the bedroom, hallway and dining room.

The pressure's on

So I have to admit, I thought it would be the end of the summer before "carpenter" would actually get around to building the furniture for our dining room. You've heard the story about the baker's wife, right?

So now I need to get serious about fabric. A few months ago I was all set on a couple Amy Butler options...and now I fell in love with a Marimekko pattern. I didn't want to, it just happened and now I can't get it out of my head.

Here's the deal. As much as I love love love Amy Butler's fabrics, I'm going need a lot of it and I worry that I may grow sick of my color choices. So I decided to go with a more neutral color scheme for the benches and then I can go crazy with color with pillows, art work, etc.


Here is the pattern. Tell me what you think?


Here it is on a couch. I like that it's fun and modern without being too bright.

Ok. Next dilemma...keep the wood on the benches as it with an oil and wax finish or stain it a dark color? Our original plan was to stain the benches darker, but now I might feel sad about covering up the wood.

Recessionary Spending

Every morning I get up and I put on the news. Every morning the news tells me we "may" be in a recession. They're not sure yet but it is possible, so...just in case I decided I'm going to save money and make my own furniture. (That's not really true. I was always planning to build my own furniture. The recession was just a coincidence.) For the cost of an expensive piece from Ikea I was able to design and build my own benches from solid red oak.

The idea for the design was simple. Straight lines to match the infrastructure of our loft. No styles or complicated details. Sounds easy, right? WRONG. I decided to NOT use any nails or screws just to see if I could do it. Only wood. I used a simple peg system , still all oak, and eco-friendly wood glue. Here is a detail of the pegs for the front part of the base.

For the actual assembly of the bench I had to build a jig layout with some scrap 2x4 and plywood I had to demo from the jobsite. (I am building these during my down time while on my jobsite, including evenings) The jig allowed for a faster assembly of the other two benches.

I have built all three benches, one at 5'x 3', one 5'6"x 3', and one 4'x 2'. They should fill the dining room nicely without overcrowding and the 3 foot depth will make for some cool loungy seating.

PS COMING SOON...3 cafe style tables...nice!

a little more color

The next room to get color is our bedroom. Of the 3 walls in our bedroom, 2 of them are brick, so I was going crazy not having color on the wall opposite our bed.


no paint


here is a little corner so you can see it against the brick.


I can't wait to start hanging stuff on the walls.


Riley thinks the new paint color makes the room super cozy.

dining room progress

Yup. It's painting time. My fabulous husband painted the dining room. I'm super excited. It's starting to look like a room. We painted it a soft bluish gray. We wanted to go with a more neutral color on the walls and bring in other colors through art work and throw pillows that will go on the benches.


a little "before" reminder


Doesn't it make the walls look so much higher?



Doesn't our dining table from our apartment look so tiny in here?

a new plan for doors

those of you who read earlier posts know that we would love love love to have these doors for our bedroom



well as it turns out, these are really expensive, really really expensive.
my husband tells me that just by adding the bamboo option to the panes, i tacked on an extra $1000. i'm not sure that it made THAT much of a difference,
but anyway i saw the quote.

so we are working on a new plan. brandon will be creating them using solid core doors and an option from 3Form




these are a couple of the options we are looking at.

i think this material could also be fun in our bathroom somewhere...when we get to that part of the remodel.


this photo more closely demonstrates what brandon will be doing in the construction of the door. i love the handles on these doors.
i'm pretty sure we have settled on sliding doors though

poke around their site... oh you'll have some ideas...3Form

spackle, tape, sand etc.

ok. brandon should really be writing this post. i don't do any of this.
but i thought that i would at least show that we are covering up the steel beams
and moving on to a more finished state for our new closet.

the inside still needs to be completed, but after we get an inspection,
right brandon?



this was taken right after he put the sheetrock up.
the spackling, taping, and sanding has been done.
but i haven't taken a new photo yet.

anders

is the name of our new bed. yea! finally a bed that is OURS.
the old one is still in great shape and will be going to a good home
but it was a bit on the girlie side. i bought it right after graduating from college.

this one has nice clean lines like we prefer and is actually made of "real" wood
unlike most of the furniture in our place.

from room and board

now we just have to save up for those side tables...brandon is still using a cardboard box

rug. check.

so we haven't made a ton of progress on the dining room since the installation of the bamboo floors. we are still working out how we are going to build the benches. where/when brandon will build them, etc.

but we have a rug. we got this rug from CB2.
not the most fabulous image, but you get the idea.


here it is in our dining, but not in it's final location.
it will get moved over once we add the benches.

hiatus

hey peeps
so sorry for the long hiatus, but there wasn't really anything to report. the hubby has been away and so many things have been on hold until his return. there is only so much time i can spend talking about..."wouldn't it be cool if i had this" and such.

i'm working on a few things again though and should have a few new postings by the weekend.

oh and we are always open to suggestions and hearing about new products and web sites out there. please comment and send them our way.

cheers!
danielle and brandon

2008 amy butler fabrics

i keep thinking i've narrowed down my search for fabrics
for the dining room and then a new email in my inbox confuses me again.

here are some new fabrics from amy butler for the new year





click here to find out more amy butler

also, one of these days i need to post a drawing of my plans for the dining room
so you can see what i'm talking about. when i find a bit of free time,
i will do that...

snowy feet

since we are right smack in the middle of our minnesota winter, my first purchase after the remodel began was a Chilewich mat for the entryway.

it is supposed to dry quickly and resist mold and mildew. great after the many trips out to the park with the dog.


i ordered mine from velocity art & design

finally the dust has settled

now it time to clean up!

we have much more left to do for our phase one remodel, but I thought I would share a few before and after images for what we have completed so far. the cabinet removal, closet removal and the addition of our fabulous new floor has really made a big difference.

if only riley could figure out how to run on the floor, without it ending in a Scooby slide...



new closet on it's way (will currently be riley's room)



looking toward bedroom



dining room, looking toward bedroom

A Carpenter's Best Tool

Many tools come in handy for a carpenter, especially when they accompany some of our more popular sayings, like "When in doubt, hit it with a hammer" or "Measure once. Cut twice." But my favorite saying is "OWW!" The occasional pain reliever can be the most accommodating tool for a carpenter, especially when one's been kneeling on a concrete subfloor all day.
*WARNING* Use pain reliever's sparingly, even over the counter, for obvious reasons, also the more you use them the less they work.

Help! My dog is a glue sniffer!

Riley has become addicted to the tongue and groove adhesive. I can't place a bottle down anywhere without him sneaking over and taking a whiff. Bad dog! Go chase a squirrel!


Look at yourself! Oh, how low you've sunk!

Little carpenter trick for anyone laying tongue and groove flooring. When gluing the inside of the groove, only glue the bottom of the groove. The directions will say glue both sides of the groove but this is a big, sloppy mistake. If you glue the top of the groove then you increase your chance for glue to squeeze through the seam and you'll spend more time cleaning than laying floor. This trick was passed down from a floor guy three decades in the business. Thanks Roger.

Riley Approved

After 2 days of demo including the removal of 1 4x5 closet, 340 sq/ft of tile, 280 sq/ft of carpet, I am tired. The hardest part of the demo was hammer drilling the mortar to separate it from the concrete sub floor. The third day included rubbish removal, framing of the closet with 3 5/8 steel studs and beginning the layout of the floor. As you can see the bamboo floor is Riley approved.

bedroom before and after

phase 1 of the remodel has begun! of course, i was at work today while carpenter worked his butt off from 8am until exactly 5pm. condo association rules...

below is a little sampling of the destruction.

here is what our bedroom used to look like...

before


before


and now

It's not easy being green.

Kermit had it right. It's not easy being green. In trying to maintain an environmentally conscience remodel I've been in contact with several green building suppliers with the hopes of being properly informed about their products and their specs. It's like trying to get blood from an orange. When inquiring about product specs I am often told (this happened six times) that I will receive a call back with that information and never receive one or get a call back 2 weeks later still uninformed. They constantly have to contact their suppliers and more often than not they don't have the product in stock nor carry that product anymore despite still being available for purchase on their websites. It's much easier dealing with a regular building supplier who is well informed about codes and standards as well as their products and actually have them in stock. AND if you ask, they can and will guide you in a more green friendly remodel. Wow. Someone who actually knows what they are doing. I'm jealous.

i love patterns!

for our dining room, our plan is to build some benches in an L shape for seating
(more details later). i would like the benches to be deep for more of a lounge feel, since we are definitely not the formal dining room type.

i recently started looking at fabric patterns and i'm all over the place.
here a just a few. i'm not sure i've found "the" fabric, but there are
some good ones here.

click on image to view larger...

the patterns in the first couple groups are what i would typically go for... all fabrics available at jcarolinecreative


these are all available at contemporary cloth

but i'm open to some others...

available at jcarolinecreative


available here contemporary cloth


available at jcarolinecreative


all available at repro depot

wall coverings

for quite some some time i've been struggling with wallpaper being back in style.
sometimes for just a moment, i think "that looks really cool". i've even considered buying and framing some of it. there are some really cool patterns out there.

carpenter and I stayed at a hotel in Brooklyn this weekend.
they had a product on the walls i've been considering.


hotel le bleu

this product is one of my favorite. i had completely settled on a paint color
for my dining room and now i'm thinking one wall in this could be fun. plus it's environmentally friendly–made of bamboo paper pulp.

maybe a cool gray on one wall and this on the other...
available at inhabit

snowy scene

well it's a good time of year to begin indoor projects.
the snow has arrived in minneapolis.

the view out our windows today

the view from our balcony when we moved in at the end of june.

local artist trunk show

local artist, tia salmela keobounpheng of silvercocoon is having a trunk show
this Friday. her handmade jewelry is being featured at the walker shop.
check it out. bring a friend!

www.silvercocoon-handmade.blogspot.com
walkerart.org

rug temptation

until the destruction actually begins (yes. i know you are dying to see demolition photos), i'm going to have to continue with my decorating blather.

with the addition of hard wood(grass) floors, we will need some rugs to protect the floors from furniture or as i see it....an opportunity to add more color.

jonathan adler rugs are always a temptation (if i had the money) and then today i had news of a sale in my in box...


this one would be great in the bedroom


and i would love this one in the hallway


The sale:
Spend $150 - save $20
Spend $250 - save $40
Spend $350 - save $60
Spend $450 - save $80
Spend $550 - save $100

Enter code holidaylicious upon checkout, offer expires 12/31/07
jonathan adler

The "Vanilla Box" Syndrome

I was speaking with a rep from Green Building Supply Co. who is getting specs on 1/2" Cork underlayment. The underlayment comes in 2'x 3' sheets and can be glued down after the application of an appropriate primer for sealing the subfloor. The bamboo can then be glued down on top of the cork using an environmentally friendly adhesive from Bostik. In the meantime I was checking out some possible cork alternatives on line and I thought that Cork might be a unique option for a finished floor in the bathroom or laundry. The laundry room might be a better option since unlike the rest of our condo with it's open timber ceiling, the laundry has a sheetrocked ceiling. A finished cork floor will add contrast in our laundry room, which can best be described as a "vanilla box". (A term carpenters like to use when describing a room or building with white walls, floor and ceiling.)

$20 art

on tuesday i purchased our first piece of art work for our condo! i'm not even sure where i'm going to put in yet...maybe in my yoga corner of the bedroom...we'll see if brandon likes it.

20 x 200 emails a new piece of art every tuesday and wednesday. the small print is always $20 and they go up from there $200 & $2000.

the web site is 20x200 by jen beckman

radar, by aili schmeltz

a proper place to hang your hat

or coat for that matter.
with the cold weather here, i realized there isn't a good place to hang our guests coats. of course, our bed works fine, but it's bit out of the way and there is always the risk that the dog will make a party of his own on top of them.

i don't want an actual coat rack due to other plans we have for the entryway,
so i found some fun alternatives that can hang on the wall.



i'm completely in love with this one.
the designer is AlissiaMT and it's available
at elsewares


at least your guests can't confuse this one.
get it here at lekker


the "hookbox" would be a great place put keys,
cell phones, dog leashes...available at design within reach

the whimsical eames® hang it all available at design within reach


ok. way out of the budget, but i thought i'd show it anyway.
it's from desu design and available right here

Turning a 2 Bedroom into a 3 Bedroom

The demolition of our existing closet in the den/bedroom allows for the addition of a third bedroom in our condo. With the final dimensions on the third bedroom being 4'x5', I know the space may seem a bit cramped but it's new resident should find it quite roomy.




Riley's room will be the new closet for our bedroom. By relocating the old closet to the other wall it allows for easier flow from the den/bedroom to the dining room. The closet will be framed with 3 5/8", .25 gauge steel studs and finished off with 5/8" sheetrock per code. Inside, shelving will wrap around the closet for storage but the majority of the space shall be occupied by Riley's cage. Riley, unfortunately, is afraid of thunderstorms, so the idea is to create his own personal hideaway. Someplace he can kick back, relax and just be himself. We even plan to install an exhaust fan in the closet to deaden the sound of thunder. In the meantime he'll just have to rough it and share the couch with my sister-in-law.



Sorry Riley.

more lighting inspiration

some more pendant lighting


from tay lighting


early 70s le klint pendant by Poul Christiansen available at y lighting


eco-friendly lighting at design within reach


thomas paul lighting available at velocity art & design

one more at velocity art & design

canned light

as we travel from room to room in our giant remodeling project, we plan to slowly rid ourselves of canned lighting. we have TONS of it. 39 cans to be exact.

of course...as the bulbs burn out we've been replacing them with compact-fluorescent-bulbs

it's fun to look at some of the lighting options that we could have instead. these funnel pendant lamps from galbraith & paul caught my eye awhile ago. they are all hand block-printed on fabric. it's great that they are hand-made and it's looks like fun to do. maybe i'll even try making my own sometime...
they are available at 2modern

What's not on paper

When installing a hardwood, ahem... hard grass floor, in a multilevel dwelling, there are certain standards that must be maintained. The first would be the STC rating, which gives a numerical value to the amount of ambient or airborne sound permeating a unit, such as talking, barking, TV, stereo. An acceptable field test STC would be 45. An acceptable lab test would be 55. This seems to be standard for most underlayments I have come across. Another standard, and far more important when you own a dog, is the IIC rating, which gives a similar value to impact sounds, such as footsteps, dragging furniture, hoof beats or whatever else you are into. For our loft an underlayment with an STC and IIC of 55 would not be good enough due to the substandard flooring in our unit (warehouse converted to condos in 1984) and the lack of acoustical ceiling or sheetrocked ceiling beneath us. The lack of a finished ceiling under us means we lose ten points on an STC or IIC for the underlayment according to most lab tests. In my vast search and contacts with various manufacturers I have found an underlayment product lab tested at STC 70 and IIC 69 landing us well above the minimum of STC 45 in the field and more importantly it is an environmentally friendly product. As work begins I will list links for the products being used, ONLY IF I APPROVE of them.



Close up of our open loft ceiling above the closet to be removed.

It All Looks Good On Paper

Carpenters in the field often have a saying, "It all looks good on paper." It's often meant in a derogatory manner towards architects. Drawing it up is one thing, actually doing it is another. (No offense to the architects out there, I'm sure there are plenty of plumber's crack jokes about us) Here are the almost to scale plans I drew up for our condo. It's simple really. Take out one obtrusive closet and rebuild it so there is a better flow from one room to the other. In the mean time 8 pantry cabinets will be relocated to better homes outside our condo and an old tile floor will be getting jacked up to allow for the new bamboo floor, 621 sq./ft.

bamboo bamboo!

yes! our bamboo floor has arrived. there are boxes and boxes of it filling our dining room. do you know what that means? our ugly tile floor is going bye bye. it also means that my husband (aka carpenter) is actually going to do this.

these are all of the places the flooring is going for the first remodeling phase. the living room will have to wait awhile.

entryway

hallway to dining room

so sad. there will be no more carpet rug in our dining room.
stylish isn't it?

bedroom

here riley checks out how the flooring will look by the window

the color is "kentucky honey."
premium green bamboo floor from simple floors

dining room art

I've become obessed with what type of art we will put on our dining room walls once the cabinets come out. I'd like to do something large and bold and preferably something from a local artist. Right now the biggest contender is Patrick Pryor. Partick is a painter from Minneapolis. I'm in love with his bold use of color.

fancy bamboo doors

our dining room is a very dark place. one of the reasons we are removing the monster closet that separates our dining room from our bedroom is to let some light in.

in it's place i'd like to put these shoji doors that I have been dreaming about for months. we will have to save up a bit for these though

Cabinet crazy

so the previous owner of our condo was a little cabinet crazy. we never got the chance to meet her, but apparently she was a collector. not only do we have a ton of kitchen cabinets, but they take up an entire dining room wall and part of our bedroom wall. i mention this because they are a major part of remodeling "phase 1"... cabinets going bye bye. don't worry they are not dumpster-bound. they are going to nice homes.

cabinets in our bedroom

bedroom looking at dining room

love our windows. it would be a sad thing to add curtains

can you believe the amount of cabinets?!? and check out the carpet/rug

And so it begins

I am actually super excited about all of these projects.
Hopefully, my husband doesn't kill me before we've even started.
See. Being the art director I have LOTS of ideas. Too many, in fact.
A wise art director girlfriend advised me one day to only tell my husband about 1/3 of my ideas or his head might explode. So this blog is partially to get the ideas out.

Our condo

Welcome. We bought this condo in June knowing that we would have a lot of work to do to make it our own. I am an art director/designer in advertising and my husband has his own remodeling business.