06.17.09
Our Home: Before+After
Mike & I have lived here for almost a year and a half now. I figured it’s about time to post all the Before+After pictures, especially since we are moving it two weeks! That seems to be how it goes with me…get a place looking how I want it to, and then it’s time to go do it again in a new place
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This home has been, hands down, our favorite of the two rentals we’ve had since we got married three years ago. We will miss many things about it, but we’re also really excited about our new tiny little place downtown! I enjoy a good challenge.
We don’t want to forget this place, so I took the time to make sure everything is photographed so we’ll remember. It’s also been on my Life List to be on Design*Sponge, my favorite design blog forEVER, so I took a deep breath and submitted everything to Grace. I am not an interior designer or an interior photographer, but I can dream right? We’ll see what happens
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Okay, this is kind of a long post, so here goes…
Back Bedroom | BEFORE
This room was a nursery (obviously). I actually kind of like the yellow wall, but we decided to paint it out since it’s such a small room.
Back Bedroom | AFTER
We went with super simple, super clean, lots of delicious crisp neutrals. I love how the littlest bit of color pops in here, like my little jade plant in the blue pot on the windowsill.
The duvet cover is from IKEA, and the jersey sheets (SO comfy) are from Target. The little breakfast-in-bed tray was a wedding gift from my friends Ted & Bethany.
It’s so soothing sleeping in here now…
Dining-Room | BEFORE
This is the dining-room as it looked with the previous renters, and before I changed out that awful ceiling fan!
Dining-Room | AFTER
I had a yellow formica table growing up, and looked for quite a while to find one again. We scored this one on craigslist, and then gradually found chairs to go with it on craigslist as well. They’ll have to be reupholstered at some point, but I love them.
On the wall: some of the black and white photos from the show I had in April. The red and black painting on the floor is a mixed media piece I did in college. It’s of a man in a suit dancing.
Dining Room | AFTER
A different view of the dining-room (with the new ceiling fan).
Kitchen | BEFORE
All the wood color made this kitchen seem rather cave-like, in spite of the previous renters painting the walls yellow.
Thankfully we have a wonderful landlady, and she was happy that we wanted it all white.
Kitchen | DURING
My dad hard at work on the masking to get the kitchen painted.
My attempt at commercial interior photography.
I love this kitchen in all-white semi-gloss. It’s so much brighter! It was a LOT of work (thanks mom and dad!) to clean, sand, clean, mask and paint everything by hand. But it was worth it.
I do love having a window right over the kitchen sink.
I saw a “Peaceful Buddha” statue in a garden years ago in Portland and fell in love. I knew I wanted one, but it had to have just the right expression and patina.
My husband and Iended up finding this one on our honeymoon on Orcas Island, tucked in a corner in a glass blower’s garden. I love it. Makes me smile and remember to breathe as I do the dishes.
A corner in the kitchen | AFTER
I found this sweet little shelf at Goodwill a couple of years ago. It’s had several different purposes, but right now it holds my tiny little bird collection, an old kaleidoscope and T-Chaco the Monkey.
Living-Room | BEFORE
This is the living-room as it was with the former renters.
Living Room | AFTER
I knew exactly how I wanted this wall to look before we moved in, and I was very impatient to finish it! Our local hardware store did a beautiful job of mixing me the exact orange color we wanted. I also bought all the shelving from them.
Chairs, from left to right: a $10 Thrift Store find, a Goodwill find, and a FREE score! I like it – it’s very eames.
This house doesn’t have a real fireplace, but I loved the idea of one. So I ended up buying a Gel Fuel fireplace from
www.overstock.com and my dad mounted it to the wall. Instead of gel fuel, I just filled it with orange mango-spice candles. The screen I found at Goodwill for a few bucks.
Living Room | AFTER
The couch was a craigslist find (we had to carry it down 3 very tight flights of stairs, but it was worth it!).
The coffee table is actually a hope-chest I inherited from my Grandma Maurine. It’s full of dress-up clothes! Off in the back right corner is my office.
Living Room Toys Shelf | AFTER
My husband and I both have a thing for Batman.
In the forefront is The Bat Bank, an awesome gift from my in-laws. Behind him is an action figure from my parents, and Darth Tater was a gift to my husband from his students. Behind Mr. Tater is a framed drawing of Batman I did a couple years ago.
Living-Room Shelf Details | AFTER
On the left: a vintage Super8 film camera I found at an antique store, and a classic old Viewmaster I inherited. That gorgeous orange and white vace in the background was a wedding gift.
On the right: my small collection of little deer figurines, which my Great Grandma Leona gave to me. They’re sitting under one of my photographs (leftover from a show I had in April).
Living-Room | After
Living Room Office | AFTER
This is the front corner of our living-room, where I have my office for Espana Photography (http://www.espanaphotography.com).
The desk is a milky glass full L-Shape desk I found on craigslist a year ago. The white boxes are from IKEA. The little green lamp I found at Goodwill, and the post-it notes I bought at Oblation in celebration of my self-employment. They last a long time!
Living Room Entrance | AFTER
The white table was a hand-me-down from my Aunt Trisha. It’s one of my favorite pieces of furniture. Above it are two watercolor doodles I did, an “R” from anthropologie and a couple other secondhand finds.
On the right: an IKEA clearance basket holds our shoes. The little vinyl suitcase was also a gift from my Aunt Trisha from her store and I use it as a briefcase at client meetings. It’s much happier than a real one.
Front Door Entrance | After
The silver magazine rack is from IKEA. I use it to keep my photography client files organized. The little key holder is one that I made. I used to sell them, and I called them “Noggin Joggers.” Get it?
Bathroom | BEFORE
I’m not a big fan of the lighting. Or the towel bars. Or the broken toilet roll holder (not shown).
Bathroom | After
It’s rental, so we had to work with what was here. If I had my way, I’d have remodeled the whole thing and put in a bathtub! But we changed the lighting and all the hardware, and that helped a lot.
The mustard yellow hamper is one of my favorite Thrift Shop finds. The handtowel is being held by a spring hand clip my husband and I bought at Hippo Hardware in Portland Oregon.
Bathroom Wall | AFTER
A funky little collection of free frames I repainted. The clock is from Goodwill, and the little butterfly hook was a gift from my friend Bethany. The metal cabinet is another favorite of mine from my Aunt Trisha (she has fabulous taste. The painting on top of it is by my friend Katie. She makes custom the sweetest little pieces with watercolor and markers.
You can also see a few more pictures HERE if you want. The first week in July next month, we bid this house a fond farewell.
5 comments
Hussey Photography - Heather!
What an awesome job!!
I love that Super 8mm camera as an accent!
Great job with the re-do!!
Looks so fun!!!
-Tim
Laura - you, madam, are not helping my urges to replace everything in my home. you just give me hope that an ugly/boring space could become pretty. and im not sure i approve.
Katie - WHOA! You are made of WIN, Heather. What a fantastic home, I'm sure gonna miss your presence there!
Love you lots!
Katie
Miriam - Wow, Heather. I LOVE what you've done with the place! I hope Grandma Helen is happy with all the work you've done. It looks like a vast improvement.
I've got those same white birdie salt and pepper shakers. They sit on my desk because I think they're too pretty to use!
Feel free to come over here any time and offer up suggestions!
alisa - what fun! what fun!
have i mentioned, heather, just how much i LOVE your blog? love it!