dining room

Getting our dining room looking good has been a priority for a long time.  For months, all we had in our dining area was a plastic folding table and some chairs from my dads house that he lent us. Dining tables and chairs are expensive and I had to get creative.

Almost a year ago, I found an old table at Owensboro Trading Post for $50. It was square, with old newspaper stuck to it and peeling paint. It had several leafs laying underneath it in an old box. I passed it so many times when I walked through the store but never did anything, even though I loved it. It needed a LOT of work. 

Finally, I went one day with my Dad and we passed it and I pointed it out to him. He laughed at me and told me I was crazy. It was it terrible shape and not worth anything. But guess what we left with? After all, there's a reason I'm "crazy" and he might have had something to do with it...

The original plan was to strip the paint, because it was cracked and peeling, and repaint it white. But once it was stripped, I couldn't bear the thought of painting it. My dad agreed, so we decided to stain it instead. Then he had to take the top apart completely, lengthen it, reattach the boards and sand it down quite a bit. At some point someone had nailed the boards down, so he took those out and filled in the holes. The wood was extremely dry and cracking. Here are some pictures taken during the process.

Once the table was done, the hunt for chairs got serious...and depressing. I thought for sure I could find some cute, old chairs for a good price. But chairs are expensive and we needed eight. I wanted something different and eclectic, and not too traditional. I checked thrift stores regularly, hunted for deals online, and even went to the Nashville flea market at the fairgrounds that is the fourth Saturday of each month (it is glorious). 

Of course I found things that I loved, just nothing in my price range. I wanted chairs for less than $50 a piece (still $400 total!!!) but ideally $25-$30 (still $200-$240). I know in the most of the blog and interior design world that is a ridiculous expectation. I was easily finding chairs for $200-$400 a piece. A piece. My mind was having trouble comprehending ever wanting to lay down that much cash PER chair, but kudos to those who can afford that! 

Anyway, I decided I was either getting metal chairs or wood ones and painting them. I really felt they would have to be painted since the table and floors were both wood, it would just be too much wood. And honestly, the thought of sanding down and painting 8 chairs after a year-and-a-half-long full house renovation had me cringing. 

I ended up finding some metal bistro chairs at Kohl's during a sale. After the sale and an additional 30% off I was able to get each chair for about $45. I then received $75 in Kohl's cash and my dad gave me his $15 from another purchase. With that I went to Kohl's on Cyber Monday and ordered two upholstered dining chairs and after the sale, an additional 20% off and the Kohl's cash, ended up paying $25 a piece. They were not my first choice because they were very straight, high-backed chairs and my bistro chairs are very short. But it was the only style left in a color I liked, so I pulled the trigger. For $25 a piece, I won't feel bad if I replace them in a couple years. 

Kohl's is a great place to hunt for deals when you are on a budget, but it takes a lot of time and "strategy". Timing is very important. Also, quality is hit and miss. I ordered a club chair online a few months ago and I've never seen such a poorly made upholstered chair. I was so disappointed but the return was fairly easy.  So far, I have been happy with the quality of these chairs. 

Here is the space now!

We were incredibly lucky to find this chandelier up in the attic. It was pretty dirty and I cleaned it a little before it was hung but I just now finished thoroughly cleaning it...six months later :)

I love the mix of formal and casual. I'm glad we decided to stain the whole table, rather than painting the legs. We also put the small little wheels back on the legs as it was originally. My Dad did a great job basically rebuilding us a table from what I will now admit was in pretty awful shape. He is still worried about it but I think it will hold up!

Since it isn't Christmas anymore, but still winter, I just put a simple centerpiece using a Target clearance bottle, a candle leftover from our wedding, and some sprigs of mistletoe that were super cheap at Hobby Lobby.

I tried to use traditional rectangular placemats but they were too big for 8 place settings, so I bought some burlap at hobby lobby, made a circular template and cut out these round placemats. They aren't perfect and unravel slightly when you cut them but for $8, I consider the project a success!

                                        

                                                            

I am currently working on putting together a gallery wall for the space. I can't wait to finish and hang it because I know it will add some interest to the space! 

-katie

master bath

Our master bathroom was our last big project. It was also so hard to make choices about because it was my 3rd bathroom to put together in less than a year. I wanted it to still look cohesive with the rest of the house and still use subway tile, but not be carbon copies of either of the other two bathrooms. And still on a small budget.

So I used subway tile in the shower like in the rest of the house. I wanted the grout to still have some contrast, but not as much as downstairs. I wanted to add some warmth with wood but keeping the original pine wood floors wasn't an option. Even with the best sealer, over time water will always get to wood and I didn't want to have to worry about it. So we went with a ceramic wood-patterned tile. For cabinet hardware and bathroom fixtures, I really wanted to use brushed brass, but it was way out of budget. So that was nixed early on. I wanted it to be slightly "minimalist" (clean lines, neutral colors, no clutter), but not too modern and "sterile", with a faint touch of eclectic farmhouse vintage....andddd go. 

1. The Doctor's Closet (Monika Hibbs) as seen on Style Me Pretty 2. Subway Tile, Amazon 3.  Exotica Cherry Wood Plank Porcelain Tile, Kentucky Tile 4. Farmwood Shelves as seen on Kristy Dickerson's Blog 5. Moen Kingsley Faucet, Lowe's 5. Kilim Run, Urban Outfitters.

With these images in mind, we started working on the bathroom. This space was originally a fifth bedroom (fourth one for the upstairs) and it had been graffitied when the house was broken into during foreclosure. 

We decided the space, rather than a fifth bedroom, could be better used as a closet/bathroom to create a true master suite. So we closed up the door to the hallway and opened two into the master bedroom, while also closing a third that went into a small bathroom that also led to the hallway. In this house's past life as a duplex, this room served as the kitchen, hence the rad 60's brick vinyl. Here are the before pictures.

Can't you just see all of the potential?? I just get so excited when I see spaces like this...and Leo just rolls his eyes at me. But he puts his faith in us, or at least feigns it which, hey, I'll take it.

Here it is today!

We love our double vanity- it is the perfect amount of space. We used the tiniest pedestal sink you've ever seen the first 3 months and functioned fine with it. I think a bigger vanity would be a waste of space and encourage clutter, which I am a little ridiculous about. I try to always keep the contact solution and cases put away, hair gel, make up, everything. To me, clutter just messes up a perfectly good space. That's what cabinets are for. We had Cabinet Doors & More in Fordsville make this vanity and linen cabinet set. They did a wonderful job, once again. They even use soft-close drawers and all!

Leo was the one who insisted on just have one big shower, instead of having a tub/shower combo. I was hesitant but guess how many times I've taken baths in the other two bathrooms that do in fact have tubs? Zero. I love the floor to ceiling subway tile and the glass walls. I actually have a love/hate relationship with the glass. I love the look of them. I would have hated actual tiled walls, which would have really made the space look dark and small, but man can that glass get a lot of soap scum and hard water build up. It's ridiculous. Turns out that most of the counties in Kentucky have "very hard" water, which can leave spots and film on glass. I have tried glass cleaner, Vinegar and warm water, even dryer sheets which I read about on a blog and actually worked pretty well...which kind of makes you wonder about what kind of chemicals we are using to clean our clothes with.

If I don't clean it every single weekend, it's terrible. Even when I do regular cleanings, it can take at least 30 minutes, if not an hour. But, I love the look of it so much I wouldn't change it. Call me crazy. I also have a great husband who is pretty good at cleaning the other two bathrooms so it's not like I spend hours a week cleaning bathrooms. Plus, the other choices we made (the subway tile, wood tile floors) actually have to be cleaned minimally and are quite easy to clean. We put in three marble accent shelves to hold our shampoos and soap which is more than enough. He just uses whatever shampoo, conditioner, and bar of soap I place in the shower! I try to keep them pretty 'gender neutral' as far as the scents, which helps keeps things simple.

We also went with the Moen faucet, which we were able to get at a better price through our plumber. I found this ginger jar at St. Vincent DePaul for $1! No lid, but it is perfect for what I wanted to use it for. I put cotton balls in the bottom and then used a glass candle holder I got at Hobby Lobby for $2 to put q-tips in and it fits in the opening perfectly. 

Im pretty proud of how it turned out since we did the majority of work ourselves and on a relatively tight budget. We did splurge a little when we found a remnant of marble at Unique Granite, but it really sets everything else off and ties in with the accents of marble in the shower, which also weren't very expensive but gives some contrast to the subway tile.

I still have a to-do list for this room (and pretty much every room!) I haven't gotten a Kilim rug yet. The one from my "inspiration board" is from Urban Outfitters, is too big, and is $100. I know I will have to eventually pay a little for a Kilim rug, as they aren't cheap, but I don't have $50-$150 to throw down on a bathmat right now! I found one that I like enough at target for $18 from the Nate Berkus collection. I also still don't have any farmwood and pipe shelves up, which I want to go in the blank area in the corner to use for towels and such. 

The last thing may seem silly, but I don't love the mirrors either. I don't hate them, but I wanted mirrors framed with something other than chrome to give the room some more texture and interest, but it is hard to find unique, matching mirrors at a reasonable price. So I found those at Lowe's for about $45 each. They even came with anti-theft hardware which means I found me some classy mirrors :)

-katie

discovering apricity.

Hey guys! I created this blog for a few reasons. One of them is not that I'm bored and have nothing better to do. I am a full-time Spanish teacher who is currently attending grad school, planning a wedding, and renovating a house built in 1920 that we just bought.

However, the fact that I am not doing this because I have nothing to do is also exact reason that I created this blog. Everything has been happening so fast, I realized I needed to document it all and be able share it with friends and family in a quick, easy way. That being said, this blog will be a little bit of everything that I like. Stories and videos that I find interesting and thought-provoking. Wedding ideas, worries, and plans. Probably a few teacher moments, both good and bad. Before and afters on the house renovation. And maybe some project tutorials on projects I'm brave enough to take on. Like I said, a little of everything.

But, why "discovering apricity"? Apricity is not a common word. Mainly because it is almost extinct form today's vocabulary. Apricity is a word people once used to describe the warmth of the sun in the winter. As soon as I heard it, I fell in love with it. As a person who is not a fan of the cold that winter brings, nothing feels better in January than apricity.

It also has a deeper meaning for me. The word apricity reminds me that even in not-so-great times, you can always look forward to the good that is certain to come, and that even if you can't see it or feel it, it is there, just like the sun. Some days I'm better at remembering that than others. This is my journey on how I try to find apricity in my life, no matter what happens. As Jeremiah 29:11 says, '"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."'

I hope you all enjoy reading the blog if and when you have time! Also, please feel free to leave comments if you want or if you have any questions :)

Before I sign off, I want to share with you some of the "before" pictures of the outside of our house. This is our first and most important project and you will definitely see why. It is going to be a HUGE project, but one that I am extremely excited about! It has always been a dream of mine to renovate an old house. And I know some people think I'm a little crazy, even if they don't tell me to my face. Unlike Leo who always lets me know, but in his unique, loving, and supportive way :)) But that's okay! So, here it goes:

Our first home. Sorry for the colors. I was in a hurry and didn't adjust the camera for the light. Had to play around in iPhoto.

So not bad, right? Cute, old house with a huge porch. Yessss. Until you see this...

Side view.

Okay, so plywood over one window that was broken out during its status as a foreclosure. Notice the roof? A little? Let me zoom it in for you.

Yup, that's our roof :) The problem is that instead of taking off the original wood shingles and replacing it with plywood before putting on the asphalt shingles, which is the right way to do it, the new shingles were just nailed down on top on the old wooden ones. This eventually leads to a rotting roof. So we have hired someone to take off both layers of shingles, rebuild the rotten beams, put up plywood, and put on new shingles. This was supposed to happen tomorrow (Monday), but since we are currently getting a quarter inch of ice with snow to follow, it will be at least Tuesday or Wednesday before they can start. Not how we planned it, but when does anything in home renovation ever go as planned? But it will be worth it!

I will be updating the blog daily with new pictures! We will be doing something almost everyday.

-Katie