CHALK IT UP

You may recall we have a chalkboard wall in our living room. Above is an Instagram shot from last night after Johnnie and I spent a few minutes doodling over the weekend. Usually it's covered in scribbles from our collaborative projects. (She likes when I write out the ABCs so she can color over them. "Draw an H, mama... Okay stop! My turn!" Scribblescribblescribble... "I did that myself!" she says.) But a glorious four-day weekend gave me ample time to get a little fancier. A rainy afternoon called for happy, colorful flowers.

Side note: Please pardon my limited knowledge of plant biology. Some of these flowers are made up, and I don't know what kind of leaves the others have.

Another side note: Looking at this photo, I realized you might think we are total alcoholics. Not the case, I promise. We do enjoy good wine and a nice bottle of Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale now and again, but most of the bottles of hard liquor are leftovers from parties and gifts and haven't been touched in ages. Does alcohol go bad? Maybe it's time for a purge. I kind of want to put a little desk and play area in this spot for J-wow anyway. Anyone thirsty?

Okay, back to the chalkboard. I love this thing, even after several years of living with it. It's not as dusty as I thought it would be, and a quick spray with white vinegar allows me to erase past drawings without any streaking or residue. Best of all, Johnnie loves it too. She's at an age now (she'll be TWO next month, and she'll tell you if you ask!) when drawing and coloring are more than just a passing fancy, and she's willing to actually invest a few quiet minutes in her projects. Crayons, chalk, AquaDoodle, ink pen, watercolor -- she's tried them all now and loves to make her mark. Doodling with her is one of my favorite things. She's a tough critic though. I drew a car the other day and she said, "Oh, it's a cloud!" Good thing she's giving me lots of opportunity to brush up on my drawing skills.

The Dentist Chair. {Or, Grin and Bear It.}

My dad and I bought it this vintage dentist chair an antique store for $100 one summer 6 or 7 years ago, when I was in college. We kind of laughed at it at first, but one sit was all it took for us to know it was coming home with us. It is unbelievably comfortable and truly perfect for reading. And obviously it's an attention getter; some people think it's awesome, and others are completely uncomfortable and develop toothaches just looking at it. No one is just ambivalent about the dentist chair, but hardly anyone can resist sitting in it.

It's been sitting in the garage for several months just waiting for some space to open up in the living room. (Considering we also have a fridge, a washer, a dryer and a treadmill in our living room, there just ain't much extra room right now...) But when we got rid of our huge sectional this winter, that opportunity arose. S surprised me on Valentine's Day by bringing it up to the house in what he calls "the greatest feat of human strength" of his entire life. (Keep in mind S played Division I football in college and is also a former power lifter.) The thing is heavy. And he carried it all by himself through the February snow and mud.

And me, I was extremely excited to see it again, but I was crying when I walked in the door that night because I had fallen in the icy mud outside and was certain that I'd permanently rattled our unborn child. (No harm done. I landed quite gently.) I'm happy to have my old friend back. It just feels right to have it back. A lot of our furniture is practical and subdued; this chair is like the funky bracelet or pair of shoes that gives a classic outfit a shot of personality.

But anyway, I totally understand if you think it's crazy and weird, and you're totally welcome to say so... but whether you love it or hate it, the dentist chair is here to stay. If you come over and take it for a spin, you'll understand why it's the best seat in the house. (Any house.) Just be sure to floss first.

Sofa Hunt.

S and I popped over to the Towson Mall on Saturday night to check out a few sofa options we liked online at Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel.

After much test-sitting, our agreed-upon favorite was the Oasis Sofa from Crate & Barrel. The pillow arrangement in this photo looks a little stupid, but in person the sofa is so inviting and casual and DEEP. The dimensions are 85"W x 42"D x 31"H. We sat on it for a good 10 minutes mulling over its merits, and we would've sat for longer if the clerk hadn't interrupted to tell us the store was closing.

Some people don't like super deep sofas, but we are not those people. If I would agree to it, S would get two chaise lounges, push them together and call it a sofa. I also like the narrow arms on this model. A lot of the deeper slipcovered sofas we've seen, like the PB Comfort Square Arm, have these huge fat arms that make them look too boxy. This one had the best combination of features without looking out of proportion.

Though at $2,200 the Oasis is a good bit pricier than we want to pay, we were happy to find a style that we both like. That is truly half the battle at least. Now the task is to look around at outlet centers, local stores and other less expensive places to see if we can find something similar at a lower price. I'd like to see some other fabric options as well, as this C&B version is only available in a heavy linen. (I'm not totally anti-linen at this point, but I like options.)

So, now that we have the style narrowed down, I think we're one step closer to a comfy living room. Progress is good.

Another development that is scheduled to happen this week is having a local stairs manufacturer build our mini-staircase to lead from the living room to the dining room. (These are the same guys who built our main staircase as well.) This project was going to wait until later, but installing these stairs is going to be critical to solving our frozen pipe problems. S's dad, a plumber, has determined that the pipe that keeps freezing needs to be moved altogether or it will just keep happening. The stairs need to be installed before the pipe can be moved. So the stairs have become a priority, and that's that. I'll keep you posted!

Goodbye Couch.

Every male who has ever visited our house will probably shed a tear at this news, but we sold our big leather couch over the weekend.

 

 

It was a very comfortable couch, and extremely roomy, but I felt it was just too big and dark and clunky for our current space. It had been proportional in our huge, open plan apartment in Miami, but it made our living room at 3820 feel small. (I don't have many photos of it. The above picture was taken last winter, before we really settled into the newly finished living room--that's why it's so bare in there.)

S loved this couch to pieces, but he ended up being much more instrumental in getting rid of it than I was. He knew it wasn't really what I wanted, so he sweetly led the charge in selling it. (What a guy!) Fortunately, he'll get to sit on it again someday soon, because the buyer ended up being my brother. So S will be reunited with the couch every time we visit my bro and his family in Virginia.

 

As they were packing and loading it up this weekend, I was actually a little sad--especially for S. (I owe him one, but don't tell him!) But once it was out, it felt quite nice and airy in the living room. I was reminded once again that downsizing does feel good. I will miss its comfort and its many options for snuggling, but I will not miss its heaviness and overpowering presence. So the hunt for a new sofa resumes. Right now, we have our tiny little IKEA Klippan loveseat taking its place. (It's not great, but it's a place to sit.)

 

The main criteria for our new couch is that it's:

• Long enough for S to lie on without hitting the armrests
• Deep enough for comfy snuggling
• Lighter in color but easily cleaned/spot-cleaned

S would also like for it to have squared arms or a more modern shape.

Sofas are a tough decision; nicer ones can be unbelievably pricey and it's a little tricky to find something we agree on. We definitely want quality, but we're determined to stick to a reasonable budget. We haven't settled on anything yet, so we have a lot of shopping to do. I will keep you posted on our hunt! Any good tips?

Thirtyeight20 Style at Pottery Barn

As I flipped through the latest Pottery Barn catalog this week, my eyes were immediately drawn to the newly introduced Glasgow Entertaining Bar ($1300).

Look familiar? It has that same weathered-and-wheeled look as the living room entertainment console my dad made for us last winter out of my grandfather's old railroad cart that had been lying around in the barn.

Except for that mess of cords that I really need to wrangle more gracefully, I love our cart. It's got a sense of history and is virtually indestructible. It's also amazingly heavy and would certainly defeat the Pottery Barn version were there such a thing as Celebrity Death Match for furniture.

In other news, we haven't spent much time with our TV lately and our Netflix queue is empty. Any good movie suggestions? I feel like I've seen everything already, twice.

Chippy old door

I rescued this old door out of the dumpster during the early days of our renovation, with the intention of saving the doorknob for some future use. I'm embarrassed to say that the door sat in the front yard for over a year after that, braving the weather and numerous "You might be a redneck" comments. That is, until last week when I hosed it off and shoved it into the corner of the living room on a whim. I kind of like it. It has a nail already in place for hanging a wreath or other little whatever, so I'm looking forward to styling it up for various occasions. I'm also planning to paint the top of that cheap old IKEA side table white.

In a way, having a door that leads to nowhere is an homage to the Pit of Despair the living room had when we bought the house. Fortunately that pit is long gone, now integrated into our new living room. I'm thinking the despair part might still exist in the form of lead paint on this decorative door... but we don't have any kids yet, so that's not currently a major concern.

Side note: I feel I need to mention that the delish bread and cheese tray on the trunk was not put there just for photo styling purposes -- it was from a party we had over the weekend. (And the computer is set up next to the TV for busting out some tunes!) My mom thinks it's funny that we still manage to entertain with only half a house. We like having people over, so we make it work.

Anyway the total cost of this little door-as-decor endeavor was a whopping $0. You can't beat free -- that's my philosophy. The living room is still a major work in progress decor-wise, but it's getting cozier a little at a time as we work with what we have. I've said before that I'm not the type to buy a bunch of stuff all at once to decorate a room. Slow and steady wins the race -- that's my other philosophy. Anyone else have any good philosophies to share?

Dream Sofas: Modern versions of traditional styles

I'm sure you're tired of looking at photos of our house's sad exterior, so let's switch gears for a moment. This morning I'm thinking about a new sofa, because as a full-time telecommuter I spend a lot of time snuggled up on ours with my laptop. As I mentioned before, our current couch is the ultimate in comfort, but aesthetically it's just a little too clunky.

I think the assumption is that log homes are required to have checked plaid couches, but that's just not our style. Because our house is so old though, my favorite sofa designs tend to be modern versions of traditional styles.

I'm seeing different variations of the Chesterfield all over the web lately, both in traditional leather and in lots of updated fabrics and prints. It's so very grown up and stodgy in a way that I love, but its lower profile gives it a more modern touch. I'm guessing that's why it has become so popular. Though I'm a fan, I'm not so sure this style is functional enough for our living room. I've never wanted any pieces of furniture that are better for looking at than actually sitting on. But if I had a den or didn't plan to have kids, one of these might be my top choice...

Images from top: SofaSofa, Restoration Hardware, FrauUSA.

I'm also digging modern versions the English rollarm look lately too, because a less imposing arm could keep the living room looking more open and casual. In the right silhouette and fabric, I think this could be a perfect combination of comfort and style. These are mature but not fussy like the Chesterfields, and they are plush and inviting without being overstuffed and untidy. So I think this is my current favorite style.

Images from top: Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn.

I am kind of intrigued by the concept of slipcovers, which the last sofa offers in many colors. I do like lighter, neutral colored sofas (as you can maybe tell), so the washable factor is a major plus... and the casualness of a slipcover gives off a nice, country-house vibe. I've noticed though that they often look wrinkly and usually don't fit quite right. My theory is that buying a couch that comes with its own custom slipcovers (like the PB sofa) might make all the difference in the fit, but I'm not totally convinced.

Does anyone have some good insight or experience with slipcovers? I'd love to hear your thoughts! (You guys really are so smart!)

Time for Tennis

After about two months of having a chalkboard wall and nothing to write with, S finally bought us some chalk and wrote our first chalkboard message! (Sometimes we may seem like highly motivated people, but this is proof that, at other times, we are lazy as it comes.) Here was his first message:

Time for tennis indeed! It's beautiful out and work is officially done for the day, so we are headed to the courts. We recently made a pact to play twice a week, despite the fact that we are not very good and people often laugh at us and/or get hit by our errant balls. We played a lot in Miami and loved it though, so it was time to make it a part of our lives here in Maryland. Bad technique notwithstanding, we manage, and it sure beats many other forms of exercise.

Plus, one of the best parts of country living is the fresh air and all the room to run around, so I'm trying to get outside and enjoy it as much as possible. (Toning up for swimsuit season is pretty good motivation to get moving too!) Are you feeling like limbering up your creaking bones lately? With springtime now here, I can't seem to move enough.

PS - I bet a few of you are wondering about that beautiful old rocking chair. It's another family heirloom -- I'll post its story soon! Right now it's time for tennis...

Weeds and Priorities

While we were outside working yesterday, I picked some pretty little weeds to brighten up the living room since it's supposed to be a rainy week. (By next year I'd like to plant real flowers... Does anyone want to place a bet on whether this will happen? ☺) After a little Googling, I think the happy yellow blooms are canola, which is taking over the fringes of the yard right now. So far the flowers aren't making us sneeze, so they are welcome any time.

As you can see by the blank walls, the living room is still in progress, decor-wise. We have decided not to invest too much time and money into really settling in and decorating until the rest of the house (kitchen, master suite, etc.) is finished. I'm always finding beautiful rugs and antique mirrors that would be perfect for this spot or that one, but the reality is that we literally have half a house left to renovate. That means wiring, plumbing, ducts, flooring, framing, appliances, etc. (I almost had a panic attack as I typed that.) Small details and comforts will have to wait, and I'm OK with that. My wallet and I just need to have an occasional chat about priorities, and then we're good.

Anyway, this back corner is our little temporary "reading nook" -- with our antique Cremo cigar humidor (an antique store find) and our old IKEA Klippan loveseat casually covered with a canvas drop cloth. It looks kinda chill and artsy back there, which I like considering this whole setup was an afterthought. I have bigger plans for this space, but there's no rush. In the meantime, a few little weeds make a big difference in cozying it up and making it feel like home -- even though we have a LOT of work to do.

Thanks for sticking with us through it all. Your encouragement and support really keep us (particularly me) going throughout this seemingly endless project. You guys are the best! I really and truly mean that.

Step by Step Staircase Transformation

I finally finished painting the stairs over the weekend. What a tedious task! I thought I'd never finish, but I love how they turned out...

The picture above is a little deceiving, because it's not the exact same pair of steps. In fact, we completely relocated the staircase altogether -- installing the new set perpendicular to where the old set had been. (The picture's portrayal of the grossness of the original stairs is pretty accurate though.)

This might help you visualize the change a little better. The picture below was taken at the same angle (notice the window is the same). In the top picture the stairs descend off to the left in front of the stove, whereas in the bottom picture the stairs descend where the old sink and cabinetry used to be. Personally I like the hallway better than the kitchen...

Here's the process of how the steps came to look so lovely. It only took about 15 months, but we've finally got something here!

That's my dad (above), prepping the wood for stain. And that's my arm, doing its staining thing (below). You have to be a little messy to make sure it gets in the cracks. (Now you know why I didn't show you the "in progress" pictures before. Slightly scary.)

And then, voila! After much taping and painting (and repeating), we have gorgeous black and white steps! Loving the crispness.

Like I said... I'm excited. It's amazing what a little stain and paint and patience can do. It just makes everything feel more finished. That is, if you ignore the fact that half the house is still gutted... But let's not think about that for awhile, k?

DIY Apple Crate Shelves (in progress)

One thing we've been planning since the very day we bought this old log house was to set up crate shelving. It just seems to fit the log home concept, and we especially thought it would bring some of the rustic wood theme into our shiny new living room without being too overpowering. Verdict: success!

At $5 apiece (and some weird looks from strangers) at the local orchard, they're just as economical as IKEA shelving but with much more Thirtyeight20 pizazz. We also just happened to have the perfect cranny to fit them into our living room scheme, since the wall is recessed to the right of the beam.

We're planning to put another set on the right side of the window to finish the whole wall, but what you see is all that would fit in the car. So we're gonna have us a nice reading nook back there (our living room is huge, if you haven't noticed) and I'm pumped!

I have resisted the urge to unpack all my books, because we still need to fasten the crates together and to the wall before we get too crazy filling them. (Note: This is super important if you're going to build crate shelves! Safety first!) We'll get to that at some point in the near future...

If you'll notice, we still haven't even screwed on all the outlet or halo covers, which are just sitting on the same shelf as the drill, waiting. We've been putting some seriously long hours in at work, so it's only partly because we're lazy that we still haven't completed those simple tasks. One thing at a time...

UPDATE: We reasoned the best way to secure these shelves was to screw them directly into the wall.

Our living room is turning into a bachelor pad...

Admittedly, we've been pretty darn lazy the past few days, just enjoying our newfound space... and it's been AWESOME. We did, however, manage to drag out this old Atlas trunk and clean it up for use as a coffee table and storage. I bought it for $40 at my favorite consignment shop several months ago, mostly because it has a bunch of neat old stickers from various Pennsylvania universities stuck all over it. It's not in amazing shape, but it has a lot of character.


I love that we've finally got a comfy little lounging area set up... but it's really starting to look bachelor-y in here! Obviously the furniture is dark, brooding and industrial. I'm cool with that. But it's the total lack of rugs, pillows, art and plants in here that needs to be addressed pronto. (Note: S loves it and says he'd be content if we kept it as-is... Sorry babe.)

So I'm getting ready to inject some color and life into this room, piece by piece. I prefer rooms that look like they've evolved over time, so I'm going to avoid the temptation to go hog-wild and buy a bunch of stuff all at once to create some cohesive "look." My next purchase is going to be an area rug. And then I might wait awhile to see what strikes me next.

On our list for an eventual purchase is a new couch. Ours is in great shape (and is super snuggly) but it's not very attractive. It's the ultimate man couch -- stain-resistant, ultra comfortable and perfect for a crowd of sports fans. But now that I describe it that way, maybe it's the absolute perfect couch for us. I'm torn between having a couch I love looking at and having one I really love sitting on... I've yet to find a good compromise, so for now the comfy/ugly couch stays.

Also, I hope you all won't mind the lack of a big, dramatic "living room reveal" with all the details put together at once, as some bloggers tend to do. That's just not how we roll. We're the organic type that doesn't really stick to a mood board or a master plan for decorating. I'll be sharing updates now and then with new developments and fun finds. We can watch it evolve together.

Industrial Heirloom Railroad Cart

If you saw the pictures of our newly finished, freshly painted living room earlier this week, you may have wondered, What's hiding under that there plastic cover? Oh friends, it's something good!

It's our new entertainment center! My parents brought it as a surprise "living room warming gift" when they came down this weekend.

Not everyone shares our taste for the industrial look, but S and I enjoy just staring and admiring the sheer coolness of this piece! The cart is an authentic Pennsylvania Railroad antique that belonged to my grandfather. I love that sentimenal element. It's been sitting in my parents' barn for years, and when my dad found out we liked industrial decor he got to work fixing it up for us.

He took it all apart, wire-brushed and oiled the grody metal, made weathered plank shelves AND outfitted it with those sweet removable storage bins (available at Lowe's). What a talented guy, my dad! American Furnishings -- one of my favorite sources for furniture inspiration -- has a much smaller but similar cart listed at $1,400. Which, let's face it, I wouldn't pay for something even this awesome.


Thank you, mom and dad! Come down soon and watch a movie with us! (Please bring your own popcorn because we can't find our microwave.)

It will look even better once we get the TV hung on the wall, the cords hidden (very key) and some books and accoutrements on the shelves. S and I were laughing last night because our living room currently looks like a furniture gallery. White walls, no plants, no rugs, no personal touches -- just furniture. We almost have to reintroduce ourselves to the concept of having a living room at all. So give us time. We'll settle in here and make it homey one day at a time!

So what do you think? Coolest thing ever, right? Especially because it has family history. Can't beat that!

Now that we've all learned patience: PAINT!

After spending a full 27 hours prepping and painting this weekend -- 9 hours Friday night, 12 hours Saturday and 6 hours Sunday -- the moment we've all been waiting for has arrived. The living room is PAINTED! We tried 3 different samples of putty/beige/tan colors and hated them all, so we went with the same perfect creamy off-white (Valspar's Homestead Resort Jefferson White) that we used in my office.

It's admittedly a little hard to see in pictures, but we are 110% gung ho about how it looks in person. In fact, we are almost giddy about it. My parents helped us paint on Saturday (thanks mom and dad!), and it got their stamp of approval as well.

The blanketed doorway (below right) will eventually have steps leading up to the dining room.

And now for a controversial surprise! Yes friends, that is a chalkboard wall.

I know it's not everyone's taste -- visit any major design blog and search for chalkboard paint, and you'll see that the general opinion is very divided on whether it is cool or not. Some people are "totally over this trend," others just plain hate it and still others can't sing its praises enough. We happen to love the idea (S especially!) and have been thinking about which wall we'd paint since the day we bought the house.

As it turns out, it looks so darn CRISP and fresh in our living room that even we are pleasantly surprised! I was concerned it would create a black hole effect in the corner, but it doesn't at all. Black accent walls are making the rounds on design blogs lately, and it kind of serves the same purpose -- except you can write favorite quotations, daily scriptures and little notes on it. My home office (essentially just a small desk) is going to sit in front of it, so it will serve a practical purpose as well. It looks so good I almost don't want to write anything on it!

BONUS: Our stair treads and railing are stained black (below), so it makes for the perfect transition and ties everything together.

We chose such a subtle, neutral wall color so that the furniture -- and the people we love sitting on it -- would be the focus of the room instead of the walls. In such a big space, a bolder color would feel overpowering. Fortunately, the choices we made are even better than we envisioned. Victory! (And how frickin AWESOME does that beam look? Good job, husband!)

We still have some details to finish up (touching up the trim, installing quarter round, socket covers and light fixtures) but those are a piece of cake. We are exhausted but in a good mood today.

So, what do you think? Do you love or hate the black wall? (You're allowed to thoroughly hate it if you want. I won't be sad.) Are we crazy or geniuses? Is it what you expected or completely surprising? As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Still no paint...

This has become the most anti-climactic blog ever, because I promised a painted living room weeks ago and still haven't delivered. Sorry! That thing I said earlier about only having 1 more hour of caulking left to do -- ha! It never ends.

This weekend we spent several hours tying up more loose ends around the place (caulking, patching, sanding, etc.), and we finally got the crown molding up. Once I do my caulking/puttying magic to it, it will look spectacular. And by spectacular, I mean "it will look nice but not draw too much attention to itself."

I have caulked so much that I am confident that if our living room were a wagon on the Oregon Trail, it could float across any river without sinking or losing a single child or wagon tongue.

Honestly I don't know exactly when this room will be painted... There are so many things outside the house that are fun, obligatory or both. For example, this is me, dressed for our church's fun little Father-Daughter Ball on Saturday night. And S spent most of Saturday morning pulling the well pump at his aunt's house to solve her plumbing woes. (Oh yeah, and we have jobs too.) These are the things that pull us away from finishing this room, but that's life and we take it one day at a time!

Yes, I know my sweater is uneven on the bottom. That's probably why it was $10 at TJ Maxx... but I still like it and can sometimes find a magical way to button it so that it hangs straight. Magical sweater!

Paint!

I was quite a busy little bee yesterday, running around here cleaning, shoveling and painting. I didn't finish everything on my list, but I got close enough. In fact, the trim in the living room is now about 75% primed, and it looks GOOD. Early morning is not the best time to take photos in our living room, so you may have to trust me on this until the lighting is better.

It looks like I need to do a little more caulking to make sure all cracks are filled. That part of the process is getting a bit wearisome, but it makes such a difference. And remember, we're going to install quarter round at the base to cover those face screws (below) and hide any unevenness.

I know some of you really hate the sight of painted woodwork, but I really love it. And I also really love this Zinsser primer a LOT. I'm not an official expert, but it's by far the best I've ever used. We'll be using this on all woodwork from here on out. (FYI I don't really think the walls need anything this heavy-duty, but bare wood does.)

We're finally onto projects that I know I'm good at, and that feels good! Learning new things is always fun and interesting, but it can be stressful when you've got a lot of money invested in materials -- and when you know lots of people will be judging your screwups on your blog! ☺