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7/7/2020

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BASEMENT
​BATHROOM


Complete...
Almost

Long gone are the laminate tiles and pink flowers!
​Welcome to our remodeled basement bathroom!
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​Below: A reminder of the before
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All of our final selections are listed below with
​links to where we purchased from!


For this bathroom we wanted something clean and modern, but we also didn't want to ignore that the home was built in the early 1940's. So we went with a modern look and some traditional touches.

The carpet just outside this bathroom is grey, but when placed next to cooler grays it looks beige. To help tie the two rooms together, we chose the above tile from Floor and Decor because we liked the larger pattern and it had the perfect combo of both warm and cool tones.
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We didn't want to make things any more difficult then they already were so we decided on this vanity from Home Depot. We like the traditional detailing and the counter top and sink were included, eliminating the need for us to
​hire a slab fabricator!

​A simple faucet was picked for the sink and we reused our existing toilet. We chose a wood mirror to help bring some warmth in the room and because we had limited height a narrow wall sconce was selected for over the mirror. 
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Above: We had some additional wall space so Jeff built in some open shelves. Besides the floor tile, this is one of my favorite parts of this room. Helps give a little added character and color to the space!
​
Below: this is what I mean by almost complete! I mentioned in an earlier blog post that we decided to take over a portion of the laundry room for the new shower. There are a lot of things my husband is comfortable doing but moving gas lines are not one of them! So till we get someone hired to move it,
​the new shower shall wait. 
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1. Wall Sconce: Branches 2 Light from Kichler Lighting. 
Purchased through FUSION light and design
2. Wood mirror: We purchased this from Target on clearance for $40 (score!) so I couldn't find an original link :-( 
3 . Vanity: Aberdeen Vanity from Home Depot  
4. Faucet: Miseno Faucet from Lowe's
5. Floor Stone Tile: Bianco Orion stone floor mosaic was
​purchased from Floor and Decor.  
6. Denver Skyline Watercolor: If you don't know Kelsey yet, you should! Local to Denver, Kelsey does some beautiful watercolors.
​Check out her Etsy page HERE.  
7. Denver Art Museum: Ok I had to stick one of my own in there :-)
8. Clock: Was my Grandma's, got in a white elephant gift exchange
9. Low Vase: A gift from some good friends and
the flowers are from Dollar Tree!
10. Apothecary Jars - this set of 3 glass apothecary jars were purchased from Amazon as additional storage and decor ​for our open shelves. 
11. Baskets - the four pack of black and grey baskets were purchased from Amazon to carry the black of the vanity to the open shelving and provide some additional hidden storage. 
12. Bath Bombs - For decor and to add a nice scent to the room these inexpensive bath bombs were purchased from Target.
13. Weather Photos (over the toilet): Because we have to sneak in tornadoes whenever we get a chance :-)

So, how did we get here! Lets catch up a bit!

Last we left we were ready to start our final finishes.
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Our stone flooring was purchased from Floor and Decor
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Because there were a few pieces with too much yellow in them we went through each piece individually to remove any pieces we didn't like. And we did a test run with a portion of the bathroom to make sure we liked it!
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Pieces were cut and laid out with Jeff's own little coding system to make sure they went back in the right spot. 
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​Tile is in and we are ready for trim!
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Above Right: Unloading the new vanity, don't worry I helped, but of
​course had to get a picture first :-)
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And we back to the completed bathroom! 
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5/7/2020

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​backyard
​complete!


home reno
Ok there is actually a lot more want to do with the backyard, like where is the hammock? BUT for today our backyard is more then usable, its my favorite space to hang out!! 

We started with a neutral base for the majority of our large pieces adding our pops of color with items that can easily be changed out. 
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We wanted to create a number of different areas to hang out. The above sofa paired with these pink side chairs creates a more casual seating arrangement.

​Click HERE for a list of all our purchases!
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For privacy and softness we added curtains to the pergola. And believe me when I tell you we tried every color possible for our curtains! White was to bright, grey didn't go well with our brick color, beige blended in with the surrounds, and all the options in yellow were to bright. Ultimately we landed on this pale pink, for I think the perfect balance!
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The final location is still being decided, but this bistro table is placed under our pergola for shade and for a more intimate seating space. Our picnic table provides seating for larger gatherings as well as a focal point
​or the end of the yard.
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1. Outdoor sofa - We wanted a sofa that was clean, simple and made of wood. This sofa from Hayneedle fit our space perfectly. 
2. Seat cushions - the cushion color that came with the sofa didn't work with our overall color pallet so we purchased separate cushions from Target.
3. Lanterns - are added for additional soft lighting, IKEA
4. Planters - These IKEA planters are hung with planter hooks from Crate and Barrel, giving us the availability to change out the color of the annuals we plant in them ever year. NOTE: We had to drill holes in the bottom of these for the water to drain. And because of our weather climate you have to remove the soil and store them in the winter or the paint will chip. 
5. Side table - There are a lot of outdoor white tables but this one from Target was clean, simple, and had the best price for our budget, 
6. Bistro Table - we wanted different types of areas to sit. This table is great for a more intimate seating arrangement. - Hayneedle
7. Outdoor Throw Pillows - now for some color! - Target
8. Lanterns - Pink lanterns were purchased to carry the color through the space. The pink lanterns I purchased unfortunately aren't available anymore but Pier 1 as some great modern options. 
9. Side Chairs - My favorite purchase for our backyard are these pink chairs from Anthropologie. 
10. Outdoor curtains - outdoor curtains are added to soft the space and create additional privacy from the neighbors. - Target
11. Mosaic Tile - this will be used for a future project to carry some of the orange color through the space. - Amazon. 
12. Side Table -​ Another of my favorite purchases! Mostly because of the color. Unfortunately also not available anymore but Anthropologie has other great options for side tables.
13. Outdoor Throw Pillows - the easiest way to add more color! - Target
14. Vase - Target 
15. Outdoor plates - Pier 1
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4/24/2020

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Backyard
​ambience


Home Reno
Time for some beautification with the finer details to our backyard!
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Landscape Lighting
Landscape lighting can not only help you safely walk through your yard, but it is visually pleasing. Who wouldn't want to look at this out their window while you are cooking dinner!? We have chosen to, of course, light paths for safety but we are also highlighting the plants. This extends our living space from inside to outside, creating a warm and comfortable exterior room. A little ambience can go a long way! Lighting purchased from The Home Depot
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Plants
With a pick up full of plants it was time to bring a little more color to the yard. The main reason for selecting the plants was for structure and color. When in bloom the majority of the plants are pink or white.

​Think if Jeff would have known that the pink would end being the inspiration for all the furniture "we" ended up selecting, he might have chosen differently :-)

All the plants were purchased from Echter's Garden in Arvada and The Tree Farm in Longmont. 
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You can see why I mentioned above that the colors in our roses are what inspired the outdoor furniture. Great pop of color to our neutral backdrop. 
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Plant Selections
Maiden Grass
Spirea, Little Princess Pink
Spirea, Goldmound Pink
Rose,Livin' Easy
Dogwood, Ivory Halo
​
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4/6/2020

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backyard progress


Home
​Reno
PROGRESS UPDATE #1
I posted about the backyard waaaaay back in 2017 and with the Spring tease in full swing here is a quick backyard recap! This is the area I have been the most excited about updating. We started working on the backyard in 2017 but last two summers we made some great progress! 
BEFORE​
The backyard was one of the main features that attracted us to the house. Sadly one of the first steps we had to take was to remove a few trees. Fast growing roots headed towards the house wasn't worth the risk!
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DEMO
Awnings were only held up by two nails, which made removal easy! The trees were another story. To save some money my husband spent a full weekend tediously sawing the roots so they could be removed and ground quickly by a professional crew. 
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PREP
​
Once the trees were removed and scraps of the awning were recycled, prep for sod and mulch began. The ground was leveled and the tree roots were ground and placed through the yard as fertilizer. Again to save, my husband rented a rototiller from a local shop to do the work himself. (think his arms are still tired!) 
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We sectioned off the areas we wanted sod and laid weed barrier where we wanted plantings. Sod was laid Memorial Day weekend 2017 and besides the spots from the new additional of a dog to the family, sod is doing great!
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10/22/2016

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Sweet Dreams


before and after
As we continue work on the basement...an update on the upstairs!
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With in the first few hours of closing on our house we removed all the carpet in the upstairs to expose the original wood floors. From there is was just a simple 6 months of floor refinishing and a fresh coat of paint! ;-) 
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Below: Floors are finished and walls are painted. 
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We had a hard time deciding on a light, so we photoshoped in our favorites to make the final decision. 
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The final product! 

Floors: Sanded and stained by Jeff
Trim: New baseboards installed by Jeff
Mirrors: purchased at Walmart, custom frames made by Jeff
Lighting: Quoizel, purchased from FUSION Light and Design
Nightstand: The Arch, $10 each!
Pillows: Target
Bedding: Ikea
Vases: Wedding present
Doors: Original, painted black
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5/22/2016

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Front
Yard


Before & After
Three years in the making... and we have sod! ​
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Since refinishing the floors was the priority project the front yard took a back seat till summer of 2014. We (Jeff) removed the willows trees, shrubs and cleaned up the front yard. New edging and mulch started to bring some color back to the front. Spring 2016, irrigation and sod!  

Next up plants, trim, and some help for those entry stairs!!
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Image gallery of progress yard work...
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2/22/2015

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Bathroom
Quick Fix


Before & After
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Since we have many more projects we would like to tackle before remodeling the updates bathroom, I decided to make a few quick and easy updates to hold us over!
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1. New wall sconces - Schoolhouse Electric L Sconce 
2. Painted walls and tile- Benjamin Moore White Dove
3. Painted ceiling - Rust - Oleum Black
4. Towel bar - 18" bar, Home Depot, spray painted Rust- Oleum Metallic
5. New shower curtain and shower rod
6. Mirror
7. Art work
8. Boxes for storage
9. Embroidered hand towel - by Sew What Embroidery 
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____

6/8/2014

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Refurbishing 
Doors


Before & After
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One of the biggest hidden tasks we are taking on in our home, is to refurbish the doors. All the doors on the top floor match and for the most part were in great shape. We have 6 doors total (not including the front door) that we are planning to refurbish. 2 down, 4 to go!  
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We have doors that are both stained with a clear glossy sealer (above left) and painted (above right). We started with Ready Strip, an all purpose stripper that you can buy at any hardware store. It worked great on the first round so we have stuck with it. 
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We removed the doors from inside, took off all the hardware and followed the general directions of the Ready Strip. We applied the stripper at first with a thin coat, but found that a heavier coat (especially on the painted doors) was easier to remove. Once the stripper is applied and sits for a few hours (above left) you can come in with a putty knife to remove the sealer and paint (above right). The stained doors only took one coat to remove the glossy sealer, but because there were a number of the different painted layers, the painted doors took about 4 applications. 
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Once the sealer was removed, we sanded the doors down to clean up an nicks and scratches (above). Any major nicks were filled with wood filler and sanded down. We started with 60 grit sand paper to remove the remaining stain, then 100, and 220 for a final smooth finish. (120 would work as well). 

Tips:
1. This was more time consuming then I thought it would be. I was planning to remove one door, have it finished and back up the same day. While this can definitely be done, because the stripper needs to sit for a few hours and the painted doors need a few applications, one door took a few days. 
2. If the stripper is applied and is left for more then about 12 hours, it tends to dry out. This isn't a big deal, all you need to do is wet the door down with a spray bottle of water. 
2.  Once most of the stripper is removed we went back in with a wet cloth to remove as much of the access film as we could. A bristle brush is also useful to help remove the stripper from the corners.
3. I started to sand relatively quickly after removing the stripper and found it quickly gummed up the sander. Instead I let the door dry overnight and sanding was much easier. 
4. If any of your doors need additional wood filler, plan for them to sit overnight once again. Leaving time for the wood filler to dry before sanding. 

Some may ask why strip the paint and stain from the doors at all. While this was more time consuming then I thought it would be, it was worth removing the clear sealer because the final paint would not have adhered as nicely or at all to the glossy finish. Because painted doors take paint differently then an exposed wood, to make sure all the doors stayed cohesive, we had to strip the painted doors as well. 

All in all we are extremely happily with the final door, which you can see below!
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1/12/2014

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Flooring 
Round 2!

What we thought would be a 2 week project (silly first time home renovators :-) turned into a 6 month adventure. Last we posted our floors were covered in tar. We had two options, spend the time to remove the tar or spend money on sand paper. 
Tar in the Kitchen
We decided to save money and attempt to remove the top layer of tar by hand scraping with a heat gun. As you can imagine this was taking FOR EV ER and our patience was running thin. After a few nights hand scraping and feeling like we weren't getting anywhere, we decided to try sanding. 
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So Jeff started sanding... sanded some more... and sanded some more...
Even though it took a number of passes, the tar came up relatively easily. Jeff will probably tell you it felt like years but it wasn't long till the first floor was done and ready for stain.
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TIP:
When it came to choosing a stain we made sample after sample. (Even though we thought we liked a color it would test different almost every time). We tested a number of stains at different lengths of time. Most apparent on the above sample (fifth from the left) you can see that how long you let the stain set before wiping it down can dramatically change the outcome. This is the same stain but we let the lower half sit a few minutes while the top half only set for about 30 secs. 

We decided on Minwax Classic Grey Wood Finish from Home Depot and quickly
realized that even after testing the stain, it was to brown. (stain closest to the window in the image below). So we tested our second favorite Sherwin-Williams Wood Classics - Rustic Grey. (Second from the left in the image above and the stain closet in the image below).
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We liked this stain much better and once Jeff re sanded the stain we didn't like it was time to officially start staining!
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Staining was much faster then sanding. Jeff applied the stain with a cloth by hand and I would follow a few seconds later to wipe up any extra. We then applied two layers of clear semi gloss sealer. After 6 months of tar, sanding and staining the results are shown below!!
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After
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Even though it took much much longer and it was a challenge to finish our floors, overall we are happy with the out come and that we decided to do them ourselves! Nothing like learning first hand :-D

Next Up... Baseboards and Concept Sketches for the first floor!!
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Denver Designer Show House

6/9/2013

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Had a great time at Thursdays opening event for the Denver Designer Show House. Thought I would post a few pictures and some more information in case anyone was interested in going!

18 Denver Interior Designers have been selected to decorate the home with tours of the home benefiting Childrens Hospital! The 2013 Denver Show house is located at 919 Vine St in Denver. It is 7 bedrooms, 8 baths, with a pool and wrap and around porch. All of the products found in each designers room are all available for purchase. If you are looking forward to seeing the rest of the rooms there will also be a 12 page spread in LUXE Colorado featuring all of the rooms. Tours are June 7th-9th and 14th-16th. Please see the link below to purchase tickets!

www.denvershowhouse.com

Design by Alvarez Morris
www.alvarezmorris.com

BEFORE AND AFTERS

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    My mind wonders a lot, just ask my husband! Certified interior designer (NCIDQ  32557), artist, photographer, maker, and storm chaser. Sharing our home renovation, photography &  designspiration!

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  • Home
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      • Additional Storms
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      • Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
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