A few of my favorite things . . .Round 1

Thanks to our incredible friends we got moved into the house last weekend, and I can't tell you how much I love this place! It's so quite and cozy and really feels like HOME. So far I've gotten 2 rooms unpacked and decorated (for the most part). I adore the fact that nearly everything from our old apartment fits right in, and with the exception of a very few small purchases, everything here has been in my collection for some time now. Of course, the Mr. loves that too :) Here's a peak at our living room and kitchen both nearly complete, and some of my favorite things.

The Living Room

A few of my favorite things. . .

I've been able to tie in the blue from the dining room through various accents, including candles  (candle holder and candle via http://www.crateandbarrel.com/ ) and pillows. I also have several of my favorite photos of Ryan and I around the room to make it really feel like home. Photographs are so important to me, and I'm so thankful to have so many beautiful images throughout the various stages of our relationship. This picture was a few months into dating. I already knew he was the one ;) 

I'm happy to report the terrariums I made (see previous post) are still hanging in there, and they add the perfect pop of green around the room. I'm also happy I've been able to incorporate various items from our wedding decor like this gorgeous ceramic bird (we had a love birds theme) throughout the house. 

We have a bit of an RVA theme happening in our living room. Ryan and I both adore our city, and have incorporated our love for the RVA in this cute accent pillow from one of my absolute favorite local stores, Orange (http://orangerva.com/) and this art piece we picked up at Arts in the Park a few years ago. There are several other Richmond themed art pieces which I will picture in a later post. 

Speaking of pillows, this jewel has been following me around for years now, and I still love it as much as I did when I first got it. A dear friend was shopping with me at West Elm (http://www.westelm.com) years ago and saw me drooling over it. A few weeks later it showed up as a house warming gift. Gotta love good friends! The turquoise pillow behind is from Pier 1 ( http://www.pier1.com/) and is seriously the most comfortable pillow ever. We had the same pillows in orange at our last place, and Ryan loved them so much he insisted we get the same. I happened to catch them on sale the other day while I was in Short Pump searching for new place mats. . .score! 

And of course my living room would not be complete without my most prized possession. . .my PawPaw's guitar. Not only does it hold a gazillion precious memories, but I also think it's beautiful.

 Can't imagine "home" without it! 

The Kitchen

A few of my favorite things. . .

There was a fair amount of empty wall space in our kitchen and so I used this white shelving to display various pitchers and such that I had shoved away in cabinets before. The R & M, done in pearls, is another wedding decor item. The 'drink local' bottle opener is a custom Christmas present I found on Etsy (www.etsy.com) for Ryan who has a serious passion for craft beer.

 It was a big hit our Super Bowl party last night! 

This super cute magnetic chalk board is perfect for the kitchen. Not only is it adorable, but it's also a great place to jot down items to buy for the week, and to write sappy love notes :) 

Because we don't have the money yet to purchase the back splash, I hung several smaller signs. I think the black and white goes great with the blue, and I'm not a fan of a ton of empty wall space. I think they give the room a nice personal touch. I've also added pops of random colors through various items like this teapot from Crate & Barrel. 

This gorgeous green bowl also adds a pop of color, and is also a prized possession as it was my MawMaw's. I'm so grateful I have random pieces throughout the house 

that constantly remind me of them and make me smile.  

Up next. . .the dining room! 

Done vs. To Do

So here we are, the night before move in. There's still much to be done in the house but the progress we've made is awesome. Our original intent when we first chose the house was that we would move in mid-March. Life took some unexpected turns though, and things got kicked into full gear. I had a lot things that I hoped would get done before we actually move in, but thought most were wishful thinking. To my delight though all of those things have gotten done and more. Some of this will be repetitive, but I wanted to do a run down of all that's been done, and all that is yet to do. This is really just more of a check list for me because I need to get organized. So, here's the run down starting with the entry way. . .

      

Entry Way Done:
* Cleaned Flooring
* Replaced Light Fixture
* Painted Molding
To Do:
* Paint Walls
* Buy Rug
* Decorate Walls

Living Room Done:
* Cleaned Flooring
* Sanded and Painted Mantel
* Sanded and Painted Front Window
* Painted Walls
* Painted Molding and Trim
* Painted and Installed Quarter Round Molding
To Do:
* Install molding around the fireplace brick on the floor
* Decorate Walls

Kitchen Done:

* Replaced Flooring

* Replaced Counter tops

* Installed New Faucet

* Installed New Dishwasher

* Installed New Hood above Stove

* Sanded and Painted Cabinets

* Installed New Handles on Doors & Drawers

* Spray Painted Old Door Hinges

* Painted Pantry Shelving

* Painted Pantry Door

* Painted Basement Door

* Painted Walls
* Painted Pocket Door to Dining Room

* Painted Window & Trim

* Installed 2 New Recess Lights

To Do: 

* Put Up Tile Back-Splash 

* Hang Shelving on Wall

* Install Under Cabinet Lighting

* Decorate

Dining Room Done: 

* Cleaned Flooring

* Painted Trim, Molding & Windows

* Painted Walls

* Painted Pocket Door

* Spray Painted Chandelier 

To Do: 

* Decorate 

Hallway Done:

* Cleaned Flooring

* Painted and Installed Quarter Round Molding

* Started Painting Trim

To Do:

* Finish Painting Trim

* Install New Light Fixture

* Paint Walls 

* Paint Doors & Replace Door Handles on Closets

Master Bedroom Done:

* Cleaned Flooring

* Painted Doors

* Painted Trim

* Painted Windows

* Installed Ceiling Fan

* Installed Plantation Blinds

To Do: 

* Paint Walls 

* Decorate

* Remodel Master Bath (which will effect the lay out of the bedroom, master closet, etc.)

Full Bathroom Done:

* Replaced 2 Light Fixtures

* Tore out Wall Cabinet

* CLEANED, CLEANED, and CLEANED

To Do:

* GUT IT. . .AKA EVERYTHING!!!! 

Guest Bedroom Done:

* Painted Doors

* Painted Walls

* Painted Trim & Window

* Installed Plantation Blinds

* Installed New Light Fixture

* Cleaned Flooring

To Do:
* Decorate 

Still left to tackle. . . 

THE ENTIRE BASEMENT LEVEL!!! 

and

LANDSCAPING 

So, as you can see. . .there's lots that's been accomplished and still lots to do. Hands down my favorite part is decorating, so I can't wait for that to begin this week. Lots more pics to come! 

1 more room complete . . .

Today I was able to finish mopping the dining room floors and able to move in the table and chairs. One more room complete! I also started playing around with various art pieces for the space and am excited about starting the decorating process next week! The two shades of blue are found throughout many of the pieces of art we already have which is perfect!

Dining Room BEFORE

Dining Room AFTER 

And speaking of decorating, while I was in Good Will today dropping off clothes I found some super cute glass containers for $0.50 a piece. I snatched them up and then made a stop at Home Depot for some succulents ($2-$4 each) and some potting soil. This afternoon I put together a few terrariums and I love them! There is so much natural light in the house, I plan on using a TON of plants throughout.

6 more days til move in . . . 

Paint Colors

Several people have inquired about my paint color choices, so here's the rundown. . .

The kitchen cabinets were primed with Zinsser oil based primer, and painted with
 Benjamin Moore Regal Select Semi-GlossWhite. Regal Select is also what I have used on all the windows, and trim work throughout the house. It goes on very easily and looks great!

The kitchen wall color is Benjamin Moore Jamestown Blue.

In the dining room I used Jamestown Blue on the bottom of the walls. Benjamin Moore is a little pricey, so I took the can to Lowes and had them color match it. The dining rooms is SLIGHTLY darker, but it's very close! The top color is Olympic 1: Beach House Blue. 

The living room is painted in Olympic 1: Quacking Grass.
 Mantel, trim and window in Benjamin Moore Regal Select White.
The art work is from World Market.

Guest Room is painted in Olympic 1: Hopsack

That's all the colors we have used for now. As I mentioned, Zinsser is a great brand to use for primers. . .it dries very quickly and did great covering the dark wood. For knotted pine cabinets I would use Zinsser BIN Primer, ultimate stain blocker.

 And a little extra painters tip. . .if you're using your brushes for several days in a row just wrap them very tightly with aluminum foil and store them in the fridge. That way you don't have to worry about cleaning them after every single use ;) 

So close. . .

My favorite room got completed today, and I have to admit. . .I am proud. I absolutely adore this room, with it's natural light and gorgeous floors. The green is calming, yet is just the right burst of color. The white trim, window, and mantle really make the room look so much larger and polished. The painting that is propped against the mantle (will eventually be hung) really brings it all together. This painting was in the bedroom of our old condo, and I don't think I could have come up with a better piece for the new place. The greens throughout matches the wall color perfectly, and really ties together the blue from the kitchen and dining room. I also love how the red in the painting just makes the brick in the fireplace pop. Our friends Nick and Cindy stopped by today and Nick helped us move the couch and recliner in. I can't wait to share pictures once the room is decorated and really complete.

Before & After. Oh what a little paint can do. . .

Bill also finished up the kitchen flooring today, and it's looking great! 

3 Rooms Down. . .

We're 1 week away from move-in and I'm more than happy with the progress. I had 2 days off of work this week and was able to knock out a ton of painting. I also had my Dad's help today finishing up trim and hanging blinds, which made a huge difference. This week I was able to finish up all the master bedroom and guest bedroom painting. It's amazing how much larger and brighter the rooms are with all the dark wood work gone! Here are a few before and after shots of some of the painting that got done this week. . .

Guest Bedroom closets 

Guest Bedroom/Office

Master Bedroom with the ceiling fan, finished trim work, and blinds. 

Master Bedroom doors and trim work complete. 

Dining Room chandelier got a make over with a little spray paint. 

Ryan also started working on replacing our bathroom light fixture this week. The old fixture was hung with 4 inch nails, nailed into the beams. They could have held HIM to the wall!!! Needless to say, it was a beast to get down and required quite a bit of patching. Hopefully tomorrow the new fixture will be up.

Today Bill (the current owner) also started installing our kitchen flooring. I can't wait to show the kitchen completed. The new flooring really ties together everything perfectly! 

With a 3-day weekend coming up, we anticipate getting all the painting and prep work done for move-in so next week can be dedicated to seriously scrubbing the place down before all the furniture goes in. I can't believe how fast time is flying!!!