The New Laundry Closet

Over the years, doing laundry has become one of the chores that I actually enjoy. Something about hanging and folding every piece I find rather soothing. It’s where I can lost in thought and the routine of it I find very methodical. Now that the kiddos are getting older I know this time of matching their socks is running out faster than I ever anticipated. I am doing my very best trying to hold onto these moments that I know I will one day miss. Now ask me about scrubbing the tub and shower and I have a whole other answer for you. Now on to the space that makes doing the laundry all the better.

Our old laundry space was a nook in the kitchen. Although it made hoping from cooking dinner to folding towels easy I always found it to be not the best use of space. Two plus years ago when we first walked through this home I knew this closet in the oversized hall by the bedrooms would be a perfect fit for a washer and dryer. We moved from a tiny house and simply did not need as much storage as this house supplied. If you have ever tackled a house project you know that even the smallest and somewhat simplest projects can add up financially. Of course I didn’t help it by wanting Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallpaper in here. I did save though by hanging it myself. The most costly part of it all was having the plumbing and electrical moved which we hired out for. The top is simple birch plywood that we trimmed out. The shelf in the back lifts off when we need to get to the mechanics of it all. We also had additional water shut offs installed in the basement just incase of an emergency. The cabinet is one we had that happened to fit perfectly in this space. I then painted it Sherwin Williams Iron Ore to match the surrounding wall. The knob is by emtek and has a great feel to it. My original plan was to remove the doors and add a large barn type door, but currently we are seeing how the original doors function for us as we do like how we can keep the small door open to air out the washer when needed. Even though this is just a laundry closet and not the oh so popular laundry room, it functions for us even more than I could have hoped for. Adding a favorite piece of art by Mckenzie Dove only adds to my love of this space. The baskets hold the dreaded extra socks that lost it’s mate and clothes that no longer fit the kiddos and are to be donated. I also wouldn’t put it past me to add flowers to that vase. After all this is my happy place.

sources:

Wallpaper | flat black cabinet knob | vase Target {similar} | art | hangers | trash can | baskets | detergent for the special loads | towels Target {similar and actually own also}

Ellie's Teen Room

Trying to write a well thought out blog post before having my second cup of coffee doesn’t seem like the wisest idea. Alas here we are, so I am going to keep it short and sweet. Ellie was very particular on how she wanted her teen room. She wanted final say on pieces, but wasn’t fully opposed to me giving ideas. In the end her room turned out to be a space that we all love. It’s young, fun yet still has a certain level of sophistication. It’s really all of Ellie’s traits in a bedroom.

One of the biggest changes was getting rid of my childhood bed. She wanted something more grown up and less french provincial. In the end we came up with a wall to wall headboard that fits perfectly under the windows. My sister and I made it one morning while she was school. It was simple. The middle section in a hollow core door on legs. Having this section risen lets her get to her outlet when needed. The sides go fully to floor and are pieces of plywood that I had cut at lowes. The padding under the fabric are foam bed toppers and the fabric was from etsy. I wish you could see the metallic thread that is woven throughout the linen. It really is lovely. As a base we used a simple metal frame and on top is our favorite mattress that currently lives in both the kiddos rooms and the guest room.

The biggest purchase was this dresser which was needed after her ikea one broke. We looked for months and this is the only one she really loved. I waited for one of West Elm’s big sales and bit the bullet. It functions beautifully and it’s a piece that can go with her once she moves out.

We have had these art pieces for quite some time and once Ellie choose her color palette we knew they needed to live here. The top is by Michelle Armas and the bottom by Clare Elsaesser.

She is ready to retire the bunny lamp, but I think I will need to keep it around for my grandbabies. The romans are my favorite budget friendly find.

Our future plans is to remove the shelves although right now they function too well to tear them out. Once we do then we can repair the cracked ceiling where the plaster has pulled away. We also plan to join the two closets, there is another one behind the door, to make it more functional. Do you spy her little inspiration board? She changes the quote every month and every time I see it I feel a little more confident that we are not totally blowing the parenting a teen thing.

This rug is vintage and pulls the whole room together beautifully. It may be my favorite piece and at times I want to pull it out into the main house. It is just that pretty.

I was a little nervous to hand over the reigns as her taste is vastly different from mine, but I also know the importance of her needing a space that is all her’s. In the end she did good, really good. Proud mom here who is nearing the end of her second cup of jo.

shop the look {most pieces we have had for ages}: 

duvet cover | velvet shams | teal sheets | mongolian throw pillow | Max Wagner print | dresser | vintage rug {similar, similar, similar} | gold lotus string lights | white metal bed frame | mattress | headboard fabric in platinum | roman shades

The Making of a Powder Bath: the reveal

I can’t believe I am finally able to share our finished powder bath. This space may be small, but it took a lot of sweat equity and time to complete. The design was simple. I wanted to make the space have a more organic and minimal feel and this meant paring it all back. You can see the BEFORE here and the PROGRESS here. I painted the space Sherwin Williams alabaster which is a warm white that we used throughout our home. The Mr sanded down the previously deep red vanity to the raw wood. I still need to seal it, but it’s been over a year and hasn’t sustained any damage yet so we shall see. We also added this hardware. I changed the ornate mirror to a simple wood framed one I found at Home Goods for a mere $35.00. Although I was tempted to use this one, but budget ultimately won. We changed out the lights to something more minimal and used my favorite silver tipped bulbs to add some interest and keep the space from being too bright. The piece that made the biggest impact was adding the marble. This marble seriously makes me swoon. It’s the cherry on the sundae, the icing on the cake, and every other happy inducing metaphor out there. This marble is also part of a God story that leaves me breathless.

I had the honor of helping my bestie streamline her design for her cottage remodel. She knew what she wanted, but with so many ideas out there it can become overwhelming quickly. I simply came in and made sure all aspects worked together, adjusting where needed, finding the perfect paint colors, and trouble shooting old house problems. Simple enough for me. During that season, little Kellen came on many a site visits and sourcing trips as he was homeschooling due to the height of his sickness. In turn it meant he befriended quite a few tradesmen. In the end my friend had marble left over from her own install and gifted the rest to me for this space. I was giddy to say the least. That in itself was an overwhelming gift, but then the installer who befriended little K and I gifted us the installation. What makes it even more wild is that on install day he showed up with this Alabama White. He saw it and he stated he knew it was meant for me and hoped I didn’t mind the change. I not once told him or anyone else that this was my dream marble. I have no doubt that the Lord orchestrated this from the beginning. I know the story was not to be found in the finishing of my bath even though that feels oh so good, but the blessing of knowing that He sees me and my desires even durning a season when we were just surviving. I was seen during a season of feeling hidden. A season where life stopped yet He was progressing it in a space and in a way that speaks specifically to me. So in short I guess you can say this post is brought to you by God and His miracle.

As I've mentioned earlier this space was meant to be filled with simple changes. One’s that wouldn’t break the bank or entail major structural changes. This also meant that I had to become creative in certain areas. One area that drove me bonkers is that this built in shelf is off center. I just could not keep “seeing” it every time a walked by. Solving the problem ended up being as simple as adding these tassels I found in Sugarboo one day. It somewhat tricks the eye into making it all feel more centered even though it is not in the slightest. They act as art in the space and didn’t set us back financially.

Besides the marble this faucet was the other biggest change. It’s minimal and clean in feel. The polished nickel is currently my favorite finish. The warmth the nickel brings was just what this space needed. Chrome would have felt too cold paired with the over all warm finishes that are currently in this space. The polished nickel is the perfect mix.

Originally the previous homeowners didn’t have hardware on the cabinet, but I knew functionally we needed it. Once I saw these at Rejuvanation I fell head over heels. I love the way the matte black pops off the raw wood vanity. Plus I love the weight and feel of them. Ikea now has a similar looking version that is lighter on the wallet, but for me these were worth the splurge since we didn’t need many.

This space is now a favorite one. If it wasn’t weird to just hang out in there I probably would all the time. Grateful for good friends and new friends who made this space what it is.

Shop the Space:

faucet: by Speakman in polished nickel

hardware: Rejuvanation in matte black

hand towels: Target {I bought in store, but they look more griege/beige in person than online}

sconces: Industrial Light Electric

lightbulbs: silver tipped

handsoap: method {I buy the refill packs to save on waste}