for fun in the kitchen,

helping write last minute letters to Santa

and kissing babies!

It was a great trade! 

I think it’s fair to say that I’m as excited about the new laundry/mud/craft room as I am about the kitchen.  For nearly 5 years, the laundry has been a chore: storing it on the kitchen floor (YUCK), folding it in the bedroom, hanging it to dry on the breakfast room chairs….chaos, in short.  When BeachBoy suggested working a true home management room into the plan, I was all ears!

The most underutilized room in our house is the room we’ve been planning to turn into a library.  However, with a little craftiness, we have devised a plan that will let us have a library AND a work room. Can I get a WOOHOO, ya’ll?!

The room measures 14’9″ x 7’6″.  Awkward, to say the least.  But, I’m willing to make it work.

Here’s a sneak peek.

View #1: Looking into the room from the office-to-be.   From far to near on the right wall, there will be: washer/dryer, cabinet, sink, cabinet, freezer, broom cabinet.  On the opposite wall, the counter will stretch between the cabinets, allowing me a space for crafting and sewing! (Pinch me; I must be dreaming!!!) Walking into the room, the space on your left will have a shoe drop and coat hooks.  We’ll start using the exterior door in this room as our main entry point.

View #2 Looking through the exterior wall from the back yard.  You’ll notice that the cabinet over the washer/dryer is the wrong size.  That will be a combination of cabinetry and open shelves.  A hanging rack will be incorporated on that wall, as well.  The window over the sink will be a leaded or stained glass window to the master bedroom (which is composed of all interior walls, as you may remember) The office/kitchen is through the doorway on the right side of the room.

View #3

View #4

Now, for the fun part!

Picture this:

I keep our home very neutral, so the project room seemed like the perfect place to bring a little playfulness into our home.  I was smitten when I found this reproduction tile online.  (Let’s see what happens when I request a quote though!)

I’m thinking of going with an aged brass for the hardware (gasp!) and a fun color for the cabinets.  I have decided, however, not to decide on the cabinet color until everything is in the space.  It’s a very small room, and I want to keep the option of leaving them white if need be.  There’s no need to make the room feel even smaller, right!?

BeachBoy doesn’t want the space closed off with a door, but I have concerns since guests will walk past the room when we entertain (to get to the back yard).  I’m thinking a fun pocket door might be just the compromise we need.  Perhaps frosted or reeded glass?  Maybe a cute etched phrase?  We’ll see! (I have just the magazine clipping in mind….now, where is my inspiration folder?)

So, what do you think?

We’re dealing with three kinds of walls: plaster, drywall, and those which were doubled up with both.  It’s going to be a long process.  But, it will be worth the mess.

Meanwhile, we’ve been refining our plans.  Once we were told that we had to take the space down to the joists and studs, we decided to carry our work into the small, nameless room that’s off the breakfast room.  It has water damage and is certainly in need.  So, it seemed like now was the time. Why weather this storm twice?

We’ve long planned to make that our library, but BeachBoy suggested we use it for a large laundry and mud room instead. What a luxury for a gal who’s been doing laundry out of a closet and folding it on the bed for nearly 5 years!  I’ll be posting plans and the design board ASAP.  :)

Here is a photographic summary of our day.

First:

Then,

Did you catch that?

Ah, yeah.

So, we’re now at “total gut job” status.  As you probably already know, projects have a tendency to spiral out of control.  Ours always do!

Let the building begin!

We have a monster leak in the kitchen….and it’s U.G.L.Y.

The good news?

The plan for the new kitchen (since we have to gut) is ready to go!

Here’s a quick look at the current plan.

-Ramsjo Cabinets

-Open shelving for my cookbooks (yay!)

-Wood counters (a nod to our cottage)

- Marble Backsplash

-Farm Sink

-Mixed Hardware Styles

-Sconces to brighten the place up

Really, what makes me smile?

1. Getting rid of the water problem, rotten cabinets and all

2. Putting the dishwasher in a location where you can use it and the range (or it and a drawer) at the same time

3. Cabinets that don’t have attack drawers that fall out on your feet!!

4. Hiding the seldom-used microwave

5. FOOD STORAGE (we have none, presently)…oh, let’s just say storage in general while we’re at it  ;)

Let the work begin!  Next week will be spent working on the kitchen, if things go as planned (around here, they never do…)

I still need to hang the blinds and curtains back up, replace the floor grates, and purchase the new rug (this one is from our bedroom).   Plus, we’re STILL trying to sell the furniture (no bites yet).  But, the floors are done in here and in the dining room.

As for the master bedroom, well…I haven’t coated those floors yet because it looks like this today:

In OTHER news, we also have THIS surprise project to tend to right away.  What’s new at your house?

Oh, admit it. You know you’re totally jealous that my whole house is crammed into two rooms.  I mean, really, why wouldn’t you be?  ;)

I’ll be back soon with the fun house photos I promised.  Until then, I’ll be sweeping and dusting, and dusting and sweeping, and…

We’re saving up BeachBoy’s vacation time for Christmas, so we decided to stick close to home instead of taking the “Big Trip” we’d originally been planning for this year.  I planned a last minute surprise getaway weekend instead.

Rather than throw a bunch of words at you, I’ll give you what you really want….PICTURES!!  You are going to drool all over the cottage we rented.  I sure did!  Go grab a towel before you scroll down, sugar.

We started our weekend with a zipline canopy tour and ropes course in South Carolina, which you can read more about here.    The rest of the weekend was spent roaming through the mountains, visiting farms, and exploring the vineyard where our cottage was located.

The Cottage

I decided they designed the garden especially for me.

The first thing BB did was throw open all of the doors. Can you blame him?

The dining room made my heart sing. I loved it that much.

The kitchen was small but mighty. It boasted a copper sink, subzero fridge/freezer drawers, a hidden microwave, a dishwasher drawer, and a viking range. Not bad for a tiny little space, huh!?

Take one more look before we move to the master suite.

That california king bed was quite a treat for us since we're used to a queen.

OK, brace yourself for the bathroom, girls.  No, really.

Why is he smiling? Because at home, we only have one sink. Here, he has his own. Haha!

We stepped this shower off to be at least 6x8. It was incredible, to say the least.

Having 2 sinks made getting ready such a breeze. It's the little things...

This was the crowning jewel. The view from the tub was amazing!

a few more, just for fun…

Breakfast outside...perfection

We didn't want to leave....ever.

The setting was perfect.

Here are a few of the relaxing adventures we shared.

I HIGHLY recommend The Farmhouse at Persimmon Creek. It was incredible.

Those are boiled peanuts….a delicacy I’d never heard of before moving to the south.

Now, I have to tell you something.  Our cottage was not the only one at the vineyard.  In fact, it was the smallest of three stunning cottages.  And, I just so happen to have pictures of the other two.  They are lighter and brighter than our woodsy cottage.  I promise to post them soon, so be sure to keep an eye out.  You DON’T want to miss seeing them.  For me, it was love at first sight.

Because I just couldn’t’ wait any longer, I made some small adjustments to the living room for fall.  I just love the way my new-to-me sampler pulls in fall colors so quietly.

Meanwhile, I can’t wait for October!  Our street goes ALL OUT for Halloween, so I’ll get to switch up the mantle again with some Halloween goodies.  Holidays are so helpful for an ADD decorator like me.

In other Fix-Up news, I’ve started in on the master bedroom project.  It looks a little something like this around here:

Nice, right?

Add to that a touch of:

It’s okay though. Everything is totally under control.  I think.  Well, maybe not.  I’m a one woman show here, so it could get hairy.

BUT…. I have a vision, so it will be fine.

Speaking of my vision.  I just might post that for you.

What’s new at your place for fall?